New York Attorney General Letitia James appointed independent legal experts to lead a thorough investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo.

On Monday, AG James said Joon H. Kim, a former Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), and Anne L. Clark, an employment discrimination attorney will be leading the inquiry into the alleged inappropriate behaviors by the Democratic governor.

Attorneys Jennifer Kennedy Park, Abena Mainoo, and Yannick Grant will help Kim and Clark in conducting an independent and thorough investigation of the facts and circumstances surrounding the sexual harassment accusations against Gov. Cuomo. They will also review that how his administration handled such complaints.

The investigation aims to provide answers to New Yorkers

In a statement, AG James said Kim and Clark are "independent legal experts who have decades of experience conducting investigations and fighting to uphold the rule of law. There is no question that they both have the knowledge and background necessary to lead this investigation and provide New Yorkers with the answers they deserve.”

As part of the investigation, Kim and Clark's team will issue subpoena and related compliance and examine relevant documents and records. The team will also conduct interviews including formal depositions.

The team will report weekly about the progress of their investigation to the Office of the Attorney. Upon the conclusion of the probe, the team will submit a written report regarding their findings. The Attorney General will make the report available to the general public.

Five women accused Gov. Cuomo of sexual harassment

The governor's office requested AG James' office to appoint a legal expert to conduct an independent investigation into sexual harassment accusations by five women.

Ana Liss, a former policy and operations aide to Gov. Cuomo, claimed that he called her sweetheart, touched her on her lower back during a reception, and inquired if she had a boyfriend. She also claimed that the governor once kissed her hand.

Liss told the Wall Street Journal that she initially considered Gov. Cuomo's unsolicited actions as harmless flirtations. However, her perception regarding the Governor's actions changed over time as she felt diminished.

Karen Hinton alleged that Gov. Cuomo sexually harrassed her in 2000 when he was the head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Hinton told The Washington Post that after an event that year, he invited her into his hotel room and embraced her. She pulled away from him but he pulled her back towards his body. She pulled away again and left the hotel room.

In an essay posted on the Medium website, Lindsey Boylan, a former aide to Gov. Cuomo alleged that he created a culture of bullying and sexual harassment within his administration.

According to Boylan, the Governor's demeaning actions started in December 2016 when he suggested that she look up the images of his rumored former girlfriend Lisa Shields. The governor then called her "Lisa" in front of colleagues.  She claimed that Gov. Cuomo touched her on her lower back, arms, and legs.

She wrote, "His inappropriate gestures became more frequent. He gave roses to female staffers on Valentine’s Day and arranged to have one delivered to me...The Governor’s pervasive harassment extended beyond just me. He made unflattering comments about the weight of female colleagues. He ridiculed them about their romantic relationships and significant others. He said the reasons that men get women were “money and power."

Another accuser, Charlotte Bennett called Gov. Cuomo a "textbook abuser." She alleged that the Governor crossed a line on June 5 when he asked questions that made her feel uncomfortable. He allegedly asked her if she'd ever been with an older man. The question made her think that Gov. Cuomo was trying to sleep with me.

Meanwhile, Anna Ruch recalled that he met the Governor at a friend's wedding reception in September 2019. She alleged that he touched her lower back, put his hands on her cheeks, and asked if he could kiss her. She did not respond. Gov. Cuomo went ahead and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The friend verified Ruch's story about the incident to CNN.

During a press briefing last week, Gov. Cuomo apologized for "acting "in a way that made people feel uncomfortable." However, he denied that he touched any woman inappropriately and said she will not resign from his position. He also reiterated that he will cooperate with the investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against him.

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