NEW YORK: New York state’s top prosecutor and public champion of the #MeToo movement resigned on Monday, just hours after being accused of physically assaulting four women by The New Yorker.
It was an abrupt fall from power for the chief law enforcement officer in the state and a Donald Trump opponent whose office had launched multiple legal challenges against the Republican administration.
“In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me,” Eric Schneiderman said.
“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.”
Earlier, he issued a statement denying that he had assaulted anyone and that he had never engaged in non-consensual sex.
Two of the women spoke to the magazine on the record, alleging that Schneiderman repeatedly hit them, often after drinking, frequently in bed and never with their consent.
Both say they sought medical attention after having been slapped hard across the ear and face, and also choked, the magazine said.
The New Yorker said none of the women classified the violence as consensual.
In February, Schneiderman sued The Weinstein Company for failing to protect employees from years of disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual misconduct despite multiple complaints from staff.
He had also been instructed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to “review” a 2015 decision by the Manhattan district attorney not to prosecute Weinstein over allegations of assault.
NY attorney general, public champion of the #MeToo movement, resigns after women abuse report
NY attorney general, public champion of the #MeToo movement, resigns after women abuse report
Russian envoy reports ‘productive meeting’ with US negotiators
- The discussions in Florida come after the United States lifted some sanctions on Russian oil earlier this week
- Trump said this week that Putin wanted to be “helpful” in relation to the Middle East war
WASHINGTON: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy said Wednesday that he had joined a “productive meeting” with US negotiators, the first talks between Moscow and Washington since the start of the Iran war.
The discussions in Florida come after the United States lifted some sanctions on Russian oil earlier this week — imposed because of Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — to ease prices as war engulfed the Middle East.
“Thank you, Steve, Jared, and Josh, for a productive meeting,” Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev posted on X, referring to US President Donald Trump’s roving global envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and White House Senior Adviser Josh Gruenbaum.
“The teams discussed a variety of topics and agreed to stay in touch,” Witkoff posted earlier.
Trump said this week that Putin, to whom he spoke on Monday, wanted to be “helpful” in relation to the Middle East war.
Dmitriev said after the Florida meeting that Washington was “beginning to better understand” the importance of Russian oil.
“We discussed promising projects that could contribute to the restoration of Russian-American relations and the current crisis on global energy markets,” he wrote in a Telegram post.
“Today, many countries, primarily the United States, are beginning to better understand the key, systemic role of Russian oil and gas in ensuring the stability of the global economy, as well as the ineffectiveness and destructive nature of sanctions against Russia.”
