Former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will not face criminal charges after multiple women came forward and accused him of domestic violence, the prosecutor announced on Thursday.
Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam, two of the four accusers, spoke on the record to Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer of The New Yorker. They accused Schneiderman of non-consensual physical violence last May.
NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 3: New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman pauses while speaking to reporters following a press conference to call for an end of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in New York state courts, August 3, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. During remarks, Attorney General Schneiderman stated that ‘targeting immigrants at our courthouses undermines our criminal justice system and threatens public safety.’ (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The former AG resigned soon after The New Yorker’s article was published.
Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas told CNN Thursday that her office has no plans on filing charges against Schneiderman. Singas also proposed legislation to criminalize this type of behavior
“I personally interviewed each of the women who cooperated with our investigation along with their attorneys,” Singas said in a statement, according to CNN. “I believe the women who shared their experiences with our investigation team, however legal impediments, including statutes of limitations, preclude criminal prosecution.”
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 15: New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (L) leaves the podium after speaking during a news conference to announce the take down of a large organized crime ring, March 15, 2017 in New York City. The investigation, dubbed Operation Sticky Fingers, has resulted in charges against 12 people accused of stealing more than $12 million in high-end electronics and supplies from retail stores and reselling the merchandise on Amazon and eBay. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Schneiderman expressed remorse for his actions in a statement that was obtained by CNN. (RELATED: Flashback of AG Schneiderman At Pro-Choice Event: ‘We Are Standing Up Against Violence’)
“I recognize that District Attorney Singas’ decision not to prosecute does not mean I have done nothing wrong. I accept full responsibility for my conduct in my relationships with my accusers, and for the impact it had on them,” his statement read.
It went on:
After spending time in a rehab facility, I am committed to a lifelong path of recovery and making amends to those I have harmed. I apologize for any and all pain that I have caused, and I apologize to the people of the State of New York for disappointing them after they put their trust in me.
I appreciate the District Attorney’s statement and will work to ensure that such legislation passes in NY state and elsewhere. I feel completely vindicated by Eric Schneiderman’s admission that he engaged in the abuse to which he subjected me and the other women.
— M Manning Barish (@MichelleBarish) November 8, 2018
Barish tweeted that she felt “vindicated by Eric Schneiderman’s admission,” adding that she “[wishes] him well in his recovery process.”
Prior to the allegations surfacing, Schneiderman called the “#MeToo movement” “extraordinary” in Alec Baldwin’s podcast.
