Open government watchdog fired after sexual assault allegation
The executive director of the state Committee on Open Government has been fired for allegedly sexually assaulting a female reporter and after admitting inappropriate behavior on the job, state officials said Tuesday.
The dismissal of Robert Freeman — who led the government watchdog committee for more than 40 years and was quoted regularly by news media across the state throughout his tenure — was confirmed Tuesday by state Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro, whose office investigated the allegations against Freeman.
Lohud.com, the website of the Journal News of Westchester County, reported Freeeman, 72, was fired late Monday by the New York Department of State, of which the Committee on Open Government is a part.
Department of State spokesperson Lee Park said in an email Tuesday that Freeman “is no longer employed by the New York State Department and the Committee on Open Government” but that the department does “not discuss personnel matters” and would have no further comment.
In a letter to New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado dated Monday, Tagliafierro said an investigation by her office was started June 13 after
an allegation “from a young female newspaper reporter charging that Robert Freeman ... sexually assaulted her while meeting with her in his official capacity.”
Tagliafierro wrote that the reporter, in sworn testimony, said Freeman “engaged in conduct that included squeezing her shoulder; touching her waist, back and buttocks with his hand; parting her braids from her face and placing them behind her shoulders; hugging her; and kissing her on her cheek while holding her head.”
Tagliafierro wrote that the Inspector General’s Office “found compelling evidence that Freeman acted in a sexually inappropriate manner with the complainant while engaged in a meeting in his official capacity.”
Additionally, according to Tagliafierro’s letter, a search of Freeman’s work emails found he had exchanged in “a series of sexually suggestive emails and photographic images with another young woman whom Freeman seemingly met as part of his official duties, and his work desktop computer contained a copious number of photographic images of naked and scantily clad women.”
Tagliafierro wrote that Freeman, in his own sworn testimony, “admitted to many of the allegations, including meeting with and kissing the young reporter, and, while using his work email system, exchanging emails with and receiving photographic images of a sexually suggestive nature from the [other] young woman he met while presenting at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University in his official capacity.”
Freeman also admitted that “he had viewed a number of sexually explicit images on his work computer via the internet,” Tagliafierro wrote.
Tagliafierro also wrote that Freeman was counseled in 2013 for “inappropriate behavior in the workplace with respect to his interactions with several Department of State employees.”
In a prepared statement issued midday Tuesday, Tagliafierro said: “I appreciate the swift action taken by the Department of State. The abuse of a public position to engage in illicit conduct will not be tolerated by anyone at any level in New York state government.”
A receptionist at the Committee on Open Government said Assistant Director Kristin O’Neill would not comment on the matter. A message left on Freeman’s home answering machine was not returned Tuesday.
Park wrote that “no decision has been made yet regarding who will oversee the committee on a permanent basis,” adding that O’Neill is overseeing operations for the time being.
According to the website of See Through NY, Freeman was paid $47,612 in 2018.
The New York State Bar Association says on its website that Freeman worked for the Committee on Open Government since its creation in 1974 and was appointed executive director in 1976.
Freeman, a lawyer, graduated from New York University and Georgetown University, according to a Bar Association bio. He “has addressed numerous government-related organizations, bar associations, media groups and has lectured at various colleges and universities,” the biography states.
Freeman has been honored by the New York News Publishers Association and the National Freedom of Information Coalition of the Society of Professional Journalists.