New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling on New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to resign, following allegations of physical abuse from four women.
“No one is above the law, including New York’s top legal officer,” Cuomo said in a statement Monday evening. Both men are Democrats.
“I will be asking an appropriate New York District Attorney to commence an immediate investigation, and proceed as the facts merits,” Cuomo added. “My personal opinion is that, given the damning pattern of facts and corroboration laid out in the article, I do not believe it is possible for Eric Schneiderman to continue to serve as Attorney General, and for the good of the office, he should resign.”
NEW: NY Gov. Cuomo calls for resignation of Attorney General Eric Schneiderman amid ‘serious allegations of assault.’ “No one is above the law, including New York’s top legal officer.” https://t.co/H9KhziTT6c pic.twitter.com/uJQAJxrhuv
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 8, 2018
Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam told the the New Yorker that Schneiderman hit them multiple times while they were in bed, against their will. They said his behavior was “assault” and that his violent outbursts usually happened after he had consumed alcohol.
They did not report their allegations of misconduct to the police, but both received medical attention after they were choked and struck on their ears and face. They also claimed Schneiderman threatened to kill them if they cut ties with him, which Schneiderman’s spokesperson denied, the New Yorker reports.
Another woman, who remained anonymous, told Manning Barish and Selvaratnam she also experienced nonconsensual physical violence in her interactions with him. The New Yorker verified the accounts provided by Manning Barish and Selvaratnam.
A fourth woman, who requested to remain unnamed, also said Schneiderman hit her after she rejected one of his advances. She shared a photo with the New Yorker of the mark that was left on her face following the interaction.
Schneiderman, who has been a supporter of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct, has denied the allegations and claimed he has not participated in nonconsensual sex.
“In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity. I have not assaulted anyone. I have never engaged in nonconsensual sex, which is a line I would not cross,” Schneiderman said in a statement.
