By: Benyamin Davidsons
On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that she has tapped an outside law firm to investigate any future allegations of discrimination, harassment or retaliation in the state government. The move is clearly in response to the embarrassing allegations made about her predecessor, which are now under investigation, and which led to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation. In August, State Attorney General Letitia James’ office released a 165-page report against Cuomo, detailing the allegations of 11 women and staffers, and concluding that the former governor broke “multiple” state and federal laws. There are currently five separate criminal investigations by district attorney’s across the state.
As reported by the NY Post, in an attempt to distance herself from the former governor, Hochul has promised she will “restore faith” in state government. In a three-minute video address to state staffers, she said there is “no place for bullying or intimidation, sexual harassment, disparagement or mistreatment, period”. In the video, released on Monday to YouTube, she added: “We’re also taking new steps to make sure the executive chamber is a workplace that is also free of harassment and hostility, including by bringing out outside reviewers and a new HR team.”
Hochul’s office is hiring Calcagni Kanefsky, LLP — a Newark, New Jersey-based firm employed by several former federal and state prosecutors. If approved by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s Office, the law firm will independently probe all claims made, and report findings to her office’s internal counsel. The firm will also make recommendations for disciplinary action.
“Let me be perfectly clear about our policies, we will take every complaint of harassment and discrimination, seriously. We’ll do our best to protect the confidentiality and privacy of the investigation, and everyone will have the option to file an anonymous complaint,” Hochul said in the video address. “We have zero tolerance for any retaliation against anyone who files a good faith complaint or cooperates in any investigation,” she added.
As per the Post, Hochul’s office also said chamber staff, which includes the governor’s top aides, will soon be required to take in-person harassment courses. Already, since August, almost 200 state employees have taken ethics trainings, which include the topics of financial disclosure laws and the public officers law.
Cuomo and his personal lawyer Rita Glavin have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing on his part, and have said that James’ investigation was spurred by her own bid to run for governor in 2022. James has asserted that her personal aspirations have nothing to do with the probes.
