Justice Department settlement concludes Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed state employees

The Justice Department concluded Friday that former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed state employees, supporting the findings of a previous state civil review of allegations against the former governor.

The department reached an agreement with the New York State Executive Chamber resolving the claims of sexual harassment and retaliation against the Democratic former governor, according to a release from the Justice Department on Friday.

The Justice Department found that during his time as governor, Cuomo subjected over a dozen women to a sexually hostile work environment, the department said Friday, reiterating many of the findings of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ 2021 report into the former governor.

“Governor Cuomo repeatedly subjected these female employees to unwelcome, non-consensual sexual contact; ogling; unwelcome sexual comments; gender-based nicknames; comments on their physical appearances; and/or preferential treatment based on their physical appearances,” the Justice Department found.

In August 2021, the New York attorney general’s office found that Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women and created a “hostile” work environment for women. Cuomo resigned a week after the state’s report was released.

According to the findings from the Justice Department, Cuomo’s senior staff were told about the harassment but failed to report the incidents “to the appropriate investigative body.”

The Justice Department also noted that “Cuomo’s senior staff were aware of his conduct and retaliated against four of the women he harassed.”

Additionally, during his time as governor, Cuomo’s office did not have an HR department, according to the Justice Department.

An attorney for Cuomo, Rita Glavin, said in a statement Friday that Cuomo “did not sexually harass anyone” and that…