Old tweets made by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) are coming back to haunt him after an investigation by the state of New York found that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women.
His response also left many people baffled.
Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday that the months-long inquiry had discovered that Cuomo had engaged in “unwelcome and nonconsensual touching” with women both in and out of state government.
James went on to state that Cuomo had created a “hostile work environment for women” with his behavior, which also involved “suggestive” sexual remarks aimed at his female colleagues.
“We also conclude that the Executive Chamber’s culture — one filled with fear and intimidation, while at the same time normalizing the Governor’s frequent flirtations and gender-based comments — contributed to the conditions that allowed the sexual harassment to occur and persist,” the report reads. “That culture also influenced the improper and inadequate ways in which the Executive Chamber has responded to allegations of harassment.”
With the long-anticipated findings finally public, Twitter users immediately began digging for old tweets from Cuomo. A tweet from 2013 in which the politician called for a zero-tolerance policy regarding sexual harassment quickly received thousands of retweets.
The replies to the tweet were also bombarded with responses from Twitter users, many of whom used memes to mock the disgraced leader.
Investigators reviewed more than 74,000 pieces of evidence, spoke to 179 individuals, and concluded that Cuomo’s denials lacked credibility when compared to “the weight of evidence obtained during our investigation.”
Cuomo’s response also became something of his own meme. In a filmed statement he shared after the findings were released, Cuomo shared a montage of him kissing a number of men and women.
“I do it with everyone,” he said.
A defense that essentially boils down to “I sexually harass everyone” wasn’t quite the strong case the governor thought it was.
Conservatives also shared a 2018 tweet in which Cuomo criticized Republicans for supporting then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who was likewise accused of sexual misconduct.
In his response, Cuomo also claimed that he never touched any woman inappropriately or made inappropriate remarks.
Given Cuomo’s response, it seems unlikely he will be bowing out from political life voluntarily anytime soon. And although the report states that it believes Cuomo has violated multiple state laws, it remains unlikely any charges will actually be filed.
