New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced that Joon Kim and Anne Clark will lead the investigation of sexual assault allegations against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“We are committed to an independent and thorough investigation of the facts,” said James on her website. “Joon H. Kim and Anne L. Clark are independent, legal experts who have decades of experience conducting investigations and fighting to uphold the rule of law. There is no question that they both have the knowledge and background necessary to lead this investigation and provide New Yorkers with the answers they deserve.”
Kim is a former Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York as well as a graduate of Harvard Law School and is currently a partner at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP, focusing on internal investigations and regulatory enforcement.
Clark is an employment discrimination attorney who graduated from the New York University School of Law and is a partner at Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C.
“We applaud Attorney General James’ appointment of Anne Clark and Joon Kim to investigate the allegations against Governor Cuomo,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, an organization that promotes equal rights, opportunity and representation for all.
“Clark and Kim are independent and unimpeachable, demonstrating a deep understanding of both Albany politics and sexual harassment law. New Yorkers deserve a fair and transparent investigation into the Governor — Attorney General James will deliver that.”
The appointments come in light of new allegations of sexual misconduct by Gov. Cuomo.
Beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 24, a total of six women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment by the governor.
Initially, two former Executive Chamber employees came forward with allegations of sexual harassment at the hands of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Then, a third woman, not an employee but the friend of a mutual acquaintance, came forward with a story of inappropriate behavior at a wedding reception in the fall of 2019.
Over the weekend, Karen Hinton, a former press aide for Cuomo when he worked at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said she was summoned to his hotel room in 2000 where he embraced her. After she pulled away, Cuomo pulled her back and held her before she backed away and left the room.
And Ana Liss, a former aide to the governor said Cuomo asked her if she had a boyfriend, called sweetheart, touched on her lower back at a reception and kissed on her hand as she got up from her desk in 2013.
Now, The Albany Times Union reports that a sixth woman has come forward Monday with a sexual harassment complaint. The newspaper is reporting that the woman claims Cuomo touched her inappropriately in the Governor’s mansion last year.
Cuomo has denied the allegations but apologized for behaving in a manner that upset people. He has refused to resign from his role as governor.
