Attorney General James Responds to Governor Cuomo Granting Referral to Investigate Allegations of Sexual Harassment

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement in response to Governor Andrew Cuomo announcing he would grant her request for a referral to investigate allegations of sexual harassment:

“We expect to receive a 63(8) referral with subpoena power to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against the governor, in line with our demands and New York state law. The referral would be made solely to the attorney general's office. This is not a responsibility we take lightly. We will hire a law firm, deputize them as attorneys of our office, and oversee a rigorous and independent investigation.”

This morning, Attorney General James released an initial statement calling for a referral from Governor Cuomo to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment, and, later, clarified that nothing less than a referral under Executive Law § 63(8) would be accepted.