Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in deep, deep trouble.
The Empire State governor is a habitual harasser of women, says an exhaustive 165-page report released on Tuesday by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
James credited independent investigators Joon H. Kim and Anne L. Clark with drafting the report and spearheading the probe into the governor’s shady interactions with women during his three terms in office.
After talking to 179 witnesses and examining some 74,000 pieces of evidence — documents, emails, texts, and pictures — over the past five months, AG James and her team came to an undeniable conclusion.
“This is a sad day for New York because independent investigators have concluded that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and, in doing so, broke the law,” said Attorney General James in a statement obtained by GunsAmerica.
“I am grateful to all the women who came forward to tell their stories in painstaking detail, enabling investigators to get to the truth,” she continued. “No man — no matter how powerful — can be allowed to harass women or violate our human rights laws, period.”
Cuomo is accused of violating multiple state and federal laws as well as the Executive Chamber’s own written policies, according to James.
In total, 11 women came forward with allegations. Nine of those were either current or former employees and some of the allegations went as far back as 2013.
Well well well https://t.co/ChUVTwfhOY
— Jack Posobiec, IWO (@JackPosobiec) August 3, 2021
Cuomo has, of course, denied any wrongdoing.
“I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” Cuomo said in an address on Tuesday.
The governor does not have any plans of resigning from office. But pressure is already mounting as the entire Democratic congressional delegation of New York has called for him to step down.
“The office of Attorney General Tish James conducted a complete, thorough and professional investigation of the disturbing allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo,” said state Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Gregory Meeks and Tom Suozzi said, per TheHill.com.
“We commend the brave women who came forward and spoke truth to power. The time has come for Governor Andrew Cuomo to do the right thing for the people of New York State and resign,” the congressmen added.
Cuomo is no friend to the 2A community. Back in 2013, the governor foisted the SAFE Act on the citizens of New York.
SEE ALSO: Black NYC Public Defenders Throw Support Behind 2A
A sweeping gun-control law, the SAFE Act significantly curtailed the 2A rights of law-abiding gun owners via unconstitutional registration schemes and misguided prohibitions on commonly owned firearms and accessories.
While at least one piece of the SAFE Act was struck down in federal court, the seven-round magazine capacity restriction, most of it remains intact to this day.
We have the facts. @NYGovCuomo broke federal & state law when he sexually harassed me & other current & former staff. I do not want an apology — I want accountability and an end to victim-blaming. NYS Assembly Speaker @CarlHeastie, it’s time you do the right thing: impeach him.
— Charlotte Bennett (@_char_bennett_) August 3, 2021
When asked to comment on this breaking news, Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation told GunsAmerica, “Maybe this explains why he [Cuomo] supports anti-gun laws that make it impossible for women to defend themselves.”
Tom King, President of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, also commented on the situation.
“I, of course, have followed the allegations brought against Andrew Cuomo over the past months but have more interest in his abuses of the 2nd Amendment which are rampant since his days in the Clinton Administration,” said King. “Hence our SCOTUS suit NYSRPA v. Corlett.”
If successful, that case would overturn the state’s may-issue standard, which requires one to provide a “proper cause” to bear arms outside the home that can be arbitrarily denied by a judge or CLEO during the permitting process. New York’s may-issue standard relegates the 2A to a second-class right.
Perhaps that why when the high court announced it would hear NYSRPA v. Corlett back in April, Gov. Cuomo resorted to fear tactics, “The streets of New York are not the O.K. Corral and the NRA’s dream of a society where everyone is terrified of each other and armed to the teeth is abhorrent to our values.”
The truth is we don’t need to be armed to protect ourselves from one another, but as Gottlieb suggested, we need to be armed to protect ourselves from those in power, especially unrepentant sexual predators like Gov. Cuomo.