New York attorney general under investigation over abuse claims
● Schneiderman resigns from office ● Women describe being slapped
Manhattan district attorney’s office is investigating allegations of physical violence against women by New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman, who held himself up as a champion of women and a liberal foil to President Donald Trump.
Mr Schneiderman resigned from office late on Monday, just hours after accounts of abuse by four women were published in The New Yorker.
It was a swift and stunning fall for a Democrat who had pledged to use the power of his office to hold others accountable for abusing their power.
The women described being violently slapped and choked, verbally abused and threatened by Mr Schneiderman. Some also described him as a heavy drinker.
The alleged abuse often happened during what were supposed to be romantic encounters, but the women said the violence was not consensual.
A statement from Danny Frost, a spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr, said prosecutors would look into the claims.
Mr Schneiderman’s office had been tasked with investigating the Manhattan district attorney’s office over its handling of a 2015 sex assault probe involving Harvey Weinstein that resulted in no criminal charges.
NYPD officials said they had not received any complaints, but would investigate thoroughly should any others come forward.
Mr schneider man ,63, issued a statement to The New Yorker, and later to other media outlets, implying that his conthe duct was either welcomed by the women, or was not as they described.
“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,” he said.
But after fellow Democrats in New York, including governor Andrew Cuomo and US senator Kirsten Gillibrand, called for his resignation, he capitulated quickly.
“In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me,” he 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.” He said he would resign at the close of business on Tuesday.
The state’s solicitor general, Barbara Underwood, will serve as acting attorney general.
She has a long history of legal work including serving in the Eastern District of New York and in the Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens district attorney offices.
Two women who spoke to The New Yorker on the record, Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam, both said the physical abuse escalated over time.
“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...” Ms Manning Barish wrote on Twitter after the story was published.