Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that he was “aghast” by the allegations against former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that were reported Monday night.
Schumer told reporters that the former attorney general “absolutely” made the right move by stepping down.
“When I read what had happened, I was just aghast. I was glad that Attorney General Schneiderman quickly stepped down,” he said.
Schumer’s comments on Tuesday afternoon marked his first public reaction to the news. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., both called for Schneiderman to step down shortly after the New Yorker piece emerged Monday night detailing abuse allegations from four women.
“The story came out at 7. He stepped down at 10,” Schumer said. “He did the right thing, and I’m glad he did.”
He declined to weigh in on a possible replacement for the former state attorney general, including Preet Bharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, a former Schumer aide.
