15 May 2021: NY Attorney General Issuing Subpoenas in Cuomo Probes

Cuomo Accusers Are Subpoenaed as State Inquiry Enters Critical Phase

The state attorney general's investigation of the allegations of sexual harassment by Governor Andrew Cuomo is advancing forward:

Four women who have accused Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of sexual harassment have received subpoenas to testify under oath, the latest indication that the state attorney general’s investigation into Mr. Cuomo’s behavior has entered a critical phase.

The issuing of the subpoenas, which was expected at some point in the inquiry, underscores the investigation’s progress beyond an initial fact-finding phase, during which lawyers interviewed multiple women at length, but not under oath.

The attorney general, Letitia James, has not set a deadline for releasing the findings of her office’s inquiry, which began in early March, but it will almost certainly be completed by summer’s end, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.

This report also describes the role of two attorneys hired to conduct the investigation:

In the past few months, outside lawyers hired by Ms. James have requested troves of state records and have held hourslong preliminary interviews with several of the women now being asked to testify under oath. Joon H. Kim, a former federal prosecutor, and Anne L. Clark, a prominent employment lawyer, who are overseeing the inquiry, have led the interviews.

Ms. Clark has been delving into the specifics of the sexual harassment accusations. She has collected vast documentation of the claims, including text messages, emails and photographs that Mr. Cuomo’s accusers say support their allegations, according to two people who were present at interviews with the women and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

Mr. Kim, the two people said, is examining closely whether Mr. Cuomo or his aides broke any laws, destroyed documents or other evidence or sought to retaliate against the governor’s accusers or interfere with the investigation in any way. The investigators are also looking into whether Mr. Cuomo and members of his staff followed the appropriate processes for dealing with sexual harassment, the two people said.

The women who have received subpoenas include Lindsey Boylan, Charlotte Bennett, Ana Liss, and an anonymous accuser who currently works as an aide in the governor's office.

The report also indicates the attorney general's office is also issuing subpoenas related to Governor Cuomo's quid pro cuo vaccine scandal allegations:

The attorney general’s team has also been issuing subpoenas asking for information about the actions of a former aide to Mr. Cuomo, Larry Schwartz.

Mr. Schwartz, who served as the state’s vaccine czar until recently, spoke with at least two county executives after the allegations against Mr. Cuomo first arose in late February, asking the officials whether they still supported the governor while also discussing immunization plans.

Follow the links presented in this post for more background information from the timeline!