New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman found himself embroiled in controversy Monday when The New Yorker released a report detailing allegations of physical assault by multiple women against the rising Democratic politician. Shortly after the news surfaced, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said it launched an investigation into the allegations.
Just hours after the shocking report was released to the public, Schneiderman resigned from his post as New York Attorney General.
Below is the latest information regarding the Schneiderman allegations and his resignation.
What Happened?
In an explosive report from The New Yorker, four women came forward with allegations against the former New York Attorney General. The troubling allegations from women who claim to have had romantic encounters with Schneiderman. They claim he would often slap, choke, and even threaten the women. The behavior allegedly came often after Schneiderman had been drinking.
From the report:
They allege that he repeatedly hit them, often after drinking, frequently in bed and never with their consent. Manning Barish and Selvaratnam categorize the abuse he inflicted on them as “assault.” They did not report their allegations to the police at the time, but both say that they eventually sought medical attention after having been slapped hard across the ear and face, and also choked. Selvaratnam says that Schneiderman warned her he could have her followed and her phones tapped, and both say that he threatened to kill them if they broke up with him. (Schneiderman’s spokesperson said that he “never made any of these threats.”)
A third former romantic partner of Schneiderman’s told Manning Barish and Selvaratnam that he also repeatedly subjected her to nonconsensual physical violence, but she told them that she is too frightened of him to come forward.
You can read the full and detailed report of the allegations here.
About Eric Schneiderman
Eric Tradd Schneiderman was born December 31, 1954, in New York City, New York. The Democratic politician served as a member of the New York Senate in the 20th and 31st districts, before becoming the 65th Attorney General of New York. Schneiderman was elected in 2010 before a successful re-election campaign in 2014.
Schneiderman earned his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and went on to serve as a judicial clerk for two years within the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He eventually became a partner at law firm Kirkpatrick and Lockhart LLP. After a stint as a public interest attorney, Schneiderman began his successful and promising political career.
However, everything has now come to a halt following the serious allegations against him.
Schneiderman, who was a strong advocate for the #MeToo movement and pursued legal action against Harvey Weinstein, was a vocal opponent of Donald Trump.