Cuomo Stands in a Long Line of Politicians Accused of Mistreating Women

2 years ago 259

Nearly each person faced calls to resign, and lone immoderate person heeded them. But fewer person faced an enquiry arsenic expansive and nationalist arsenic the 1 into the New York governor’s actions.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has made it wide   that helium  has nary  plans to willingly permission  office.
Credit...Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Jennifer Medina

Aug. 3, 2021, 6:30 p.m. ET

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York is the latest successful a agelong bid of politicians who person been accused of intersexual harassment oregon assault. Nearly each person faced calls for their resignation, and immoderate person heeded them portion others person steadfastly refused to measurement down.

What’s the quality betwixt those who enactment successful powerfulness and those who don’t? Party affiliation, for 1 thing: In caller years, Democratic leaders person mostly abandoned those successful the enactment who person been accused of battle oregon harassment, usually (but not always) starring them to measurement down and beryllium replaced by different Democrat. Republicans, who person not ever faced the aforesaid unit from enactment leaders, person much typically dug successful their heels and stayed put.

That makes Mr. Cuomo’s lawsuit each the much unusual: He has made wide helium has nary plans to willingly permission office. But not since President Bill Clinton has determination been specified an expansive — and nationalist — probe of a high-profile person into allegations of intersexual misconduct.

“All this treatment isn’t based simply connected property reports, but connected a cautious and truly extended probe and ineligible analysis,” said Emily Martin, a vice president astatine the National Women’s Law Center. “Some politicians person exploited that benignant of inherent uncertainty. They person learned the acquisition that if you don’t measurement down, cipher is going to marque you.”

This clip could beryllium different. If Mr. Cuomo does not resign, helium could look impeachment proceedings from the State Legislature.

The database of politicians who person been accused of intersexual harassment oregon battle is acold excessively agelong for 1 article, but present is simply a look astatine immoderate of the astir caller high-profile allegations successful the aftermath of the #MeToo movement.

Image

Credit...Cooper Neill for The New York Times

More than 2 twelve women person publically accused Mr. Trump of intersexual harassment oregon assault. Just weeks earlier the 2016 election, a signaling from 2005 surfaced of Mr. Trump boasting successful vulgar presumption astir kissing and groping women without their consent.

Mr. Trump acknowledged his remarks astatine the time, saying successful a video: “I said it, I was wrong, and I apologize.” But helium besides dismissed the speech arsenic “locker country talk” and aboriginal baselessly questioned the authenticity of the recording.

Despite wide outrage from Democrats and women’s groups, Mr. Trump was not punished for his remarks astatine the ballot container — more achromatic pistillate voters chose him implicit Hillary Clinton.

Later, successful 2019, the writer E. Jean Carroll accused Mr. Trump of raping her successful the dressing country of a section store successful New York City. He denied the allegation, and she sued him for defamation, a lawsuit successful which helium carried retired the highly antithetic ineligible move of bringing successful the Justice Department to support him.

In 2017, Leeann Tweeden, a comedian and sports broadcaster, accused Mr. Franken, a Democratic legislator from Minnesota, of forcibly kissing her during a rehearsal and of groping her for a photograph portion she slept during a 2006 drama circuit done the Middle East. Mr. Franken apologized, but said helium had a antithetic representation of the time.

“I don’t cognize what was successful my caput erstwhile I took that picture, and it doesn’t matter,” he wrote successful a statement. “There’s nary excuse. I look astatine it present and I consciousness disgusted with myself. It isn’t funny. It’s wholly inappropriate.”

Several weeks later, amid calls for his resignation, Mr. Franken stepped down.

Image

Credit...Lynsey Weatherspoon for The New York Times

In precocious 2017, four women, and then a fifth, said that Roy S. Moore, astatine the clip a Republican campaigner for Senate successful Alabama, had made intersexual advances toward them erstwhile they were teenagers and helium was successful his 30s. One pistillate accused Mr. Moore of forcing her into a intersexual brushwood erstwhile she was 14, and aggregate women accused him of intersexual assault.

Understand the Scandals Challenging Gov. Cuomo’s Leadership


Card 1 of 5

Several Republicans, including Senator Mitch McConnell, the bulk person astatine the time, urged Mr. Moore to driblet retired of the race, but helium denied each allegations and said they were portion of a conspiracy to support him retired of office. President Trump endorsed Mr. Moore astir a week earlier the election, which helium lost to Doug Jones, who became the archetypal Democrat since 1992 to triumph an Alabama Senate seat.

Soon aft Mr. Trump nominated Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court successful 2018, 3 women accused him of intersexual battle oregon misconduct.

One of the women, Christine Blasey Ford, said that Mr. Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her erstwhile she was astir 15 astatine a enactment successful suburban Maryland successful the aboriginal 1980s. During hours of grounds earlier the Senate Judiciary Committee, Ms. Blasey Ford said she had feared Mr. Kavanaugh would rape and accidentally termination her during the alleged assault.

Mr. Kavanaugh “unequivocally and categorically” denied the allegation and was confirmed to the tribunal by 1 of the slimmest margins successful American history.

Image

Credit...Richard Perry/The New York Times

Eric T. Schneiderman, past the New York State lawyer general, resigned successful 2018 conscionable hours aft The New Yorker reported that 4 women had accused him of physically assaulting them. Two of the women who spoke to the mag said they had been choked and deed repeatedly by Mr. Schneiderman, a Democrat. Though helium denied the allegations, respective leaders successful the enactment — including Mr. Cuomo — urged him to measurement down.

“My idiosyncratic sentiment is that, fixed the damning signifier of facts and corroboration laid retired successful the article, I bash not judge it is imaginable for Eric Schneiderman to proceed to service arsenic lawyer general,” Mr. Cuomo said astatine the time.

Read Entire Article