Schneiderman, who is suing Harvey Weinstein over sexual misconduct claims, accused in New Yorker of assaulting four women

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The attorney general of New York state, Eric Schneiderman, abruptly resigned on Monday night following accusations published in the New Yorker that he physically assaulted four women with whom he was romantically involved.

Schneiderman rose to national prominence as a foe of the Trump administration and a high-profile figure in the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.

“In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me,” Schneiderman said in a statement.

“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 8 May 2018.”

The NYPD said it had not received any complaints of abuse but would investigate any that were made. On Tuesday morning, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said it was opening a criminal investigation.

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.

Shortly after the New Yorker published its article, New York governor Andrew Cuomo called for Schneiderman to resign.

“I will be asking an appropriate New York District Attorney(s) to commence an immediate investigation, and proceed as the facts merit,” Cuomo said in a statement.

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The two women who spoke on the record, Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam, both said the physical abuse escalated over time, and that Schneiderman also was a heavy drinker.

After the article was published, Manning Barish said on Twitter that she “could not remain silent and encourage other women to be brave for me”.

M Manning Barish (@MichelleBarish) After the most difficult month of my life-I spoke up. For my daughter and for all women. I could not remain silent and encourage other women to be brave for me. I could not... https://t.co/HvL5ech0RM

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 also released 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.”

Play Video 1:41 'Weinstein Company complicit in abusive conduct' says New York attorney general – video

Schneiderman has been a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement. He filed a lawsuit in February against the movie producer Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Company 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 investigation 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 what prompted them to come 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.”

A vocal Trump critic

Schneiderman, who won a state senate seat representing a Manhattan district in 1998, became attorney general in 2010 and was running for re-election this year. He has a history of recognition for activism on behalf of women’s causes, including reproductive rights.

The 63-year-old also has been a longtime critic of Donald Trump, and has been part of several efforts to push back against some of his actions in the White House, such as the rescinding of protection for immigrants brought to the US illegally as children.



Schneiderman’s resignation marks a stunning political fall at a time when he was building a national profile as a leading opponent against sexual harassment and Trump.

Since Trump’s inauguration, the state attorney general’s office has brought dozens of legal or administrative actions against the Trump administration, including lawsuits against each iteration of the travel ban. Last November, late-night comedy host Samantha Bee nicknamed him Schneider-man, a Trump-fighting superhero.

Even before Trump’s rise, he and Schneiderman clashed over a three-year long investigation into Trump University. During the inquiry, Trump tweeted that Schneiderman was “the nation’s worst AG” and a “total loser”.

Some Trump allies and Republicans appeared pleased at the allegations prompting his swift downfall.

Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, resurfaced a tweet Schneiderman sent in October 2017: “No one is above the law,” the attorney general’s tweet said. “And I’ll continue to remind President Trump and his administration of that fact everyday.”

The younger Trump, commenting on the tweet, said: “You were saying???”