The workplace of state legal professional basic Letitia James is going through calls to supply extra particulars about an inner sexual harassment investigation that led to the resignation of chief of employees Ibrahim Khan.
Sources say Khan give up earlier this month after sexual harassment allegations have been made in opposition to him by not less than two girls.
Sources say the ladies weren’t working for the legal professional basic’s workplace when the allegations have been made.
In a press release, Khan mentioned he was already planning to depart the workplace and famous that he had not been accused of any office harassment.
The legal professional basic’s workplace mentioned when allegations first surfaced in opposition to Khan, they opted to rent an out of doors legislation agency on October 4 to conduct an investigation. This firm, Littler Mendelson, backed up not less than a type of claims.
By legislation, exterior contracts over $50,000 should be submitted to the New York State Comptroller’s Workplace for approval.
Jennifer Freeman, spokeswoman for State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, mentioned Friday night time that “there isn’t a contract forward of us for approval.”
In an e-mail response to NY1, Delaney Kempner, a spokesperson for the Legal professional Common, admitted that the contract didn’t go to the comptroller’s workplace, saying, “As a result of time it takes for monetary phrases are correctly reviewed and permitted, it’s not uncommon for the Legal professional Common’s workplace to interact an organization for pressing issues with an engagement letter whereas the monetary phrases are being reviewed.
When requested if Khan had accomplished obligatory sexual harassment coaching, as required by legislation for state workers, the legal professional basic’s workplace declined to say or present any documentation proving that he had completed it.
Questions in regards to the investigation and the way the workplace dealt with it are a politically delicate matter for James.
His workplace has employed an out of doors legal professional to research sexual harassment allegations in opposition to former Governor Andrew Cuomo. This investigation concluded that Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 completely different girls.
The bombshell 163-page report outlining these findings was launched at a press convention in August 2021 by James, together with the surface lawyer she had employed to guide it. The report led to Cuomo’s resignation later that very same month.
James mentioned on the time that she believed the ladies who accused Cuomo of misconduct. Cuomo and his workforce claimed that James politicized the investigation.
In a press release, Republican Meeting Minority Chief Will Barclay mentioned, “It is true what they are saying in regards to the cover-up and the crime. These sexual harassment incidents and investigations have been deliberately hidden from the general public and are actually coming to gentle after Election Day. The legal professional basic’s workplace was investigating the governor for a similar offenses dedicated in his personal workplace. It is onerous to match that degree of hypocrisy.
Excessive-ranking Republican on the State Senate Investigative Committee, Tom O’Mara, additionally spoke, saying, “The Legal professional Common is the chief legislation enforcement officer of the state and when ‘She fails to implement the legislation in her personal workplace, that calls into questioning her health for the job. There should be a right away and impartial investigation into what she knew about these allegations, when she knew it and whether or not they have been correctly addressed.
Democrats management each homes of the state legislature, and up to now no Democrats from both home have known as for an investigation.
James ran for re-election as legal professional basic final yr.
She received her race in opposition to Republican Michael Henry on November 8.
