NY attorney general gets green light to investigate sexual
harassment claims against sinking Cuomo
1 Mar, 2021 22:41
New York State Attorney General Letitia James has been given the authorization to move forward on an independent investigation into two former staffers’ sexual harassment claims against Governor Andrew Cuomo.
James has received the letter from the governor’s office that she needed to open an independent investigation into Cuomo’s alleged sexual harassment, her office revealed on Monday. Cuomo will not receive weekly updates on the probe; however, the investigation’s findings will be made public at its conclusion.
Cuomo’s office had previously called on James to “select a qualified private lawyer to do an independent review of allegations of sexual harassment” on Sunday, the latest of several requests that have been turned down by the AG’s office. However, while James pointed to state law allowing her office to perform the investigation, she also pledged via Twitter to “hire a law firm, deputize them as attorneys of our office, and oversee a rigorous and independent investigation.”
A second former aide came forward over the weekend to accuse Cuomo of harassment, noting he had asked her probing questions about whether she had ever “been with an older man” (she was 25 at the time, while Cuomo was 63) among other unwelcome sexual comments. Fellow former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan came forward in December only to be largely ignored – until revealing last month that the governor had kissed her without her consent, jokingly suggested a game of strip poker, and repeatedly referred to her by the name of his ex-girlfriend.
Other odd remarks – such as Cuomo’s caught-on-film insistence that a female reporter “eat the whole sausage” that he’d bought for her, complaining “there’s too much sausage in that picture” and otherwise making what could be interpreted as crude sexual innuendos – were dismissed as mere banter by both parties. Cuomo, keeping in character, has avoided apologizing, instead playing the ‘sorry not sorry’ card of apologizing for others who mistakenly felt uncomfortable at his “teasing” and “being playful.”
The sexual harassment scandal comes on the heels of revelations that Cuomo’s office concealed the extent of the coronavirus epidemic raging in the state’s nursing homes, using some creative accounting to reclassify thousands of nursing home deaths as hospital deaths. Despite Cuomo’s bullying and intimidation tactics – widely exposed by everyone from Boylan to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – a bipartisan group of lawmakers was already calling for his resignation before Bennett came forward with her harassment claims. The FBI has also gotten involved, though no charges have yet been filed regarding the nursing home issue.
Cuomo’s scandals are hitting the governor in his wallet, as well, with major backers of the three-term governor suddenly getting cold feet about continuing support to the incumbent. One financial executive who declined to be named told CNBC that “no one is giving to him now. Everything is on hold.” Even the Biden White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have voiced support for an independent investigation into the Cuomo allegations, mere months after embracing the governor as the antithesis of then-president Donald Trump. The governor even won an Emmy for his coronavirus briefings.
The tide appears to have turned regarding his favorability, however. While Cuomo has many well-heeled donor friends, he has never been popular among working-class New Yorkers or the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, who have dubbed him “Governor One Percent” for his slavish devotion to the state’s wealthy inhabitants. Now that those inhabitants have either fled the state entirely due to his draconian lockdown regulations or have shut off the cash spigot due to the harassment issues, his reelection in 2022 looks a lot less certain.
March 7, 2021 - two more former employees came forward to accuse Cuomo of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
Australian AG outs himself as target of rape allegations in 1988 case that police consider closed after investigation
3 Mar, 2021 07:23
Christian Porter speaks after he outed himself as the unnamed cabinet minister accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. ©Stefan Gosatti / AFP
Australia’s top law official, Christian Porter, has confirmed that he is the target of a historic rape claim which was extensively covered by the media. He emphatically denied that the accusations are factual.
Attorney-General Christian Porter came forward on Wednesday to reveal that he was the minister accused by an unidentified Adelaide woman of raping her when she was 16. He said he waited for the New South Wales (NSW) police to complete their investigation before going public and defending himself from what he described as “trial by media.”
“Staying silent. Following the rules. A very difficult decision. I have been subject to the most wild, unrestrained allegations in Australian politics,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, police confirmed that they had not discovered evidence sufficient to charge anyone and have “determined the matter is now closed.”
The police investigating the Attorney General - how convenient!
Details of the allegations became public last week after an anonymous letter describing them was sent to Australian officials, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, which was reportedly compiled by friends of the woman after her death.
Law enforcement has been aware of the claims since February of last year, when the complainant first came forward. The claims were investigated by the NSW police’s Strike Force Wyndarra. The accuser died by suicide in Adelaide last June, shortly after informing police that she no longer wanted to proceed with the investigation.
In 2019, she contacted former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife to ask for their advice, according to Turnbull himself, who spoke to the media. He called on his successor to launch an independent inquiry rather than leave the matter to the police, and said the then-unidentified accused minister should speak up.
The woman was reportedly an award-winning debater, who met Porter when she represented her home state of South Australia at a competition in Sydney. He was 17 at the time.
As he disclosed his identity, the attorney general said he rejected calls to step down “because of an allegation about something that simply did not happen.”
“My guess is that if I were to resign and that set a new standard there wouldn’t be much need for an Attorney-General anyway because there would be no rule of law left to protect in this country,” he said.
Porter said he felt for people affected by the scandal, including friends and family of his accuser and those on his side. Porter will take a short leave to deal with the situation, which, he said, has taken a toll on his mental state.
How about her mental state? Suicide is a heavy toll compared to a little anxiety.
18 year sentence for ‘Pillar of the community’ who spent thousands on live sexual abuse of children he directed
A paedophile, who owned and ran a number of well-known Isle of Wight businesses, including a children’s play zone was today given an 18 year prison sentence. “He was directly responsible for the most heinous abuse of children”
An Isle of Wight businessman and former president of the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for child sexual abuse offences following a National Crime Agency investigation.
Peter Tomlinson, 63, admitted 20 charges, including ten of paying for the sexual services of a girl under 13 – by arranging, directing and paying for the live-streamed sexual abuse of children in the Philippines.
When arrested by NCA officers in October 2019 at his home on Baring Road, Cowes, he said:
“The thing you’re looking for is on my computer in there. It is my escape from reality. That is all it is.”
That is not what it was to the children you raped and molested. It was their descent into Hell, and you, obviously, don't care.
Paid £5,500 for live-streamed child sexual abuse
Tomlinson paid £5,511 via 127 transactions to accounts in the Philippines between May 2015 and April 2017 for a mix of live-streamed child sexual abuse (CSA) and adult sex shows.
The NCA uncovered evidence that over a three-year period (2016-2019), he repeatedly paid facilitators for the live-streamed abuse of at least eleven young girls.
Abuse of five-year-old
The youngest was just five when the abuse began. In January 2018, Tomlinson paid £22 to view a live sex show he had requested involving the child.
In a further exchange January 2019, he said he would pay a Filipino woman £7.66 if she performed a sex act on a ten-year-old girl.
Facilitator arrested
Investigators unearthed proof of thousands of messages between Tomlinson and the female facilitator – who has been arrested and the children safeguarded.
They exchanged 4,166 lines of chat on Skype – 358 indicated to be video calls and 3,809 text messages.
Asked for ‘harder’ abuse
During those calls Tomlinson repeatedly asked for “harder” abuse footage, spelling out what he wanted to see and then complaining about what he received.
In June 2018 he paid the woman £12.99 and then complained saying for that price:
“I will expect a show with two girls for 30 minutes.”
Sin is progressive. Perverts tend to want younger and younger victims, and more and more violence.
Whilst at work
Communication between Tomlinson and the woman was at all times of the day and night with him telling her:
“I am busy in meetings” and “I’m still working”.
Hundreds of images
During interview with NCA officers he admitted arranging, directing and paying for live streamed CSA and possessing indecent images of children.
His electronic devices contained 47 category A images (the most severe), 148 category B, 353 category C and 46 extreme images.
Pleaded guilty to 20 counts
Tomlinson pleaded guilty to the initial 12 counts put to him – which included paying for the abuse of two young girls and making indecent images of children, at Newport Magistrates Court on 18th December 2020.
NCA investigators charged him with the additional eight counts in February this year after proving he was responsible for the abuse of a further nine children in the Philippines.
Today at Newport Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to the eight charges and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Eccles: Directly responsible for the most heinous abuse of children
NCA operations manager Phil Eccles said:
“Peter Tomlinson believed he could carry out his sickening offences from the comfort of his own home and get away with it.
“He was directly responsible for the most heinous abuse of children thousands of miles away from him.
“Live-streaming sex crimes exploits the vulnerable; he was helped in this case by facilitators whose motive is to make money.
“Live-streaming is a key threat to the UK, and one of the main forms of financially-driven offending, for which the Philippines remains a key hub.
“The NCA does important work with international law enforcement partners in the Philippines to combat these sorts of crimes.
“Anyone like Tomlinson should know that the NCA and UK police will never give up our pursuit of offenders who commit these horrific crimes.”
Businesses he was involved with
News OnTheWight researched Mr Tomlinson at the time of his arrest in October 2019 and found that he had resigned within two days from a number of Isle of Wight businesses, including Vectis Trading Ltd/JR Zone, Betapak, IW Chamber of Commerce, Hampshire and IW Opportunity Society, Avalon House International and Education Destination Ltd – an organisation that arranges trips to the Island for school trips.
Helpline
Child protection charity The Lucy Faithfull Foundation also runs the Stop It Now! helpline – 0808 1000 900 – which offers confidential advice to anyone concerned about their own or someone else’s behaviour towards children.
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