New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that he was resigning from his office in a Monday evening statement.
That followed allegations published Monday in The New Yorker that Schneiderman, whose office has taken on a high-profile role in the fight against sexual misconduct, was physically violent with four women with whom he was romantically involved.
The attorney general released this statement:
“It’s been my great honor and privilege to serve as Attorney General for the people of the State of New York. In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me. While these allegations are unrelated to my professional conduct or the operations of the office, they will effectively prevent me from leading the office’s work at this critical time. I therefore resign my office, effective at the close of business on May 8, 2018.”
Two women spoke on the record to The New Yorker, saying Schneiderman repeatedly hit them during the course of their relationships with him in recent years, and never with their consent. Neither woman filed any police complaints, but both said they sought out medical attention and confided in people close to them about the abuse.
A third woman who also was involved with him told her story to the other two women, but said she was too frightened to come forward. A fourth woman said Schneiderman slapped her when she rebuffed him, but also asked to remain unidentified. The New Yorker said it vetted the third woman’s allegations, and saw a photo of what the fourth woman said was her injury.
In a statement following The New Yorker report’s publication, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called for Schneiderman to resign, and said he will be asking an “appropriate” New York district attorney to start an investigation immediately.
“No one is above the law, including New York’s top legal officer.”
“My personal opinion is that, given the damning pattern of facts and corroboration laid out in the article, I do not believe it is possible for Eric Schneiderman to continue to serve as Attorney General, and for the good of the office, he should resign,” he said.
Asked for comment, Schneiderman, a Democrat, issued a statement to The New Yorker saying, “In the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity. I have not assaulted anyone. I have never engaged in non-consensual sex, which is a line I would not cross.”
His representatives sent the same statement to The Associated Press when asked about the accusations. They also sent a statement from his ex-wife, Jennifer Cunningham, who said, “I’ve known Eric for nearly 35 years as a husband, father and friend. These allegations are completely inconsistent with the man I know, who has always been someone of the highest character, outstanding values and a loving father. I find it impossible to believe these allegations are true.”
A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance told NBC News the office is opening an investigation “into the recently reported allegations concerning Mr. Schneiderman.”
Schneiderman has been a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement. He filed a lawsuit in February against movie producer Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Co. following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, saying the company broke New York law by failing to protect employees from “pervasive sexual harassment, intimidation and discrimination.”
He launched a civil rights probe into the New York City-based company in October after The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed allegations of sexual assault and harassment spanning decades. The company later fired Weinstein.
The women accusing him said seeing him speak out on sexual misconduct issues was part of the impetus in them coming forward.
“This is a man who has staked his entire career, his personal narrative, on being a champion for women publicly,” Selvaratnam said. “But he abuses them privately. He needs to be called out.”
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
