Harassment, a Book Deal and Nursing Homes: Read the Full Andrew Cuomo Impeachment Report

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The New York State Judiciary Committee released its report on the impeachment investigation of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday that presented evidence concerning the former three-term governor's alleged wrongdoings.

Carried out on behalf of the committee by New York City-based law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, the report contends that Cuomo "engaged in multiple instances of sexual harassment" by "creating a hostile work environment and engaging in sexual misconduct."

These allegations, which were detailed in-depth by New York Attorney General Letitia James in her August 3 report, reference claims by 11 different women that Cuomo engaged in actions such as unwanted groping, kissing and sexual comments during his time in office. The political heat surrounding these allegations served central to his August 24 resignation.

However, beyond investigating claims of assault, the State Judiciary Committee also had Davis Polk look into Cuomo's alleged undercounting of nursing home deaths during the pandemic as well as his alleged misappropriation of government resources during the time in which he was working on a $5.2 million book deal. The report found that Cuomo:

Governor Cuomo Speaks On His State Of
The New York City-based law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP said former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo created "a hostile work environment." Here, Cuomo pauses after delivering his State of the State and budget... Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

"Utilized state resources and property, including work by Executive Chamber staff, to write, publish, and promote his Book regarding his handling of the COVID-19 crisis." He also: "Was not fully transparent regarding the number of nursing home residents who died as a result of COVID-19."

During the creation of his book, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic, the committee reported Cuomo "utilized the time" of multiple state employees. It found that certain state officials attended meetings with publishers, drafted portions of the book, and helped promote it. Davis Polk wrote that one state official sent a text stating that their work on the book "was compromising the official's ability to work on COVID-related matters."

By allowing employees to carry out these activities during normal work hours, the investigation found that Cuomo violated the Joint Committee on Public Ethics requirement stating "[n]o State property, personnel or other resources may be utilized for activities associated with the book."

In addition to misappropriating state resources, the report contended that Cuomo's office revised a Department of Health report that would have reflected a higher number of nursing home deaths than what was reflected in the final document. Cuomo's office had the report only disclose "in-facility" nursing home deaths, excluding the number of people who were transferred out of homes only to pass away in hospitals.

"While the DOH Report accurately stated that the disclosed numbers related to in-facility deaths only, the decision to exclude the out of-facility deaths resulted in a report that was not fully transparent," the report stated.

Read the report in its entirety in the original PDF document below:

Impeachment Investigation Report to Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine and the New York State Assembly Judiciary Committee

About the writer

Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within the politics concentration at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism where he serves as the school's student representative in the University Senate and the Student Leadership Advisory Council of the Columbia Alumni Association.

Previously, he served as Newsweek's congressional correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Over his tenure with Newsweek, Alex has covered the speakership of Mike Johnson, the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the midterm elections of 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and other key congressional stories of the Biden presidency.

Alex additionally provides coverage of Newsweek ownership and has produced investigative reporting on legal troubles facing the Olivet Assembly, a religious entity to which Newsweek's two owners formerly held ties.

Prior to covering Congress, Alex reported on matters of U.S. national security, holding press credentials for both the U.S. Capitol and the Department of Defense. Before joining Newsweek, Alex wrote for The American Prospect, Vice News, WDIV-TV NBC Local 4 News in Detroit, and other regional outlets.

His entry into the media industry began at Syracuse University where he majored in magazine journalism and produced award-winning coverage of the U.S.-Mexico border. At Syracuse, Alex also completed majors in policy studies as well as citizenship & civic engagement and was recognized as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the university's highest honors.

Alex was selected by the National Press Foundation to serve as a Paul Miller Washington Reporting fellow in 2024. He holds memberships with the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) organization.

Contact Alex with tips and feedback at a.rouhandeh@newsweek.com, and stay updated on his reporting by following him on social media at @AlexRouhandeh.


Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within ... Read more