New York attorney general resigns amid allegations of abuse

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) resigned on Monday night, a few hours after The New Yorker published the accounts of several women who say Schneiderman was physically abusive toward them in romantic relationships.

In a statement, Schneiderman said he "strongly" contested the allegations, adding that while they 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, 2018." Not long after the story was published, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) called on Schneiderman to resign. Schneiderman was up for re-election this fall, the only Democrat in the running.

In The New Yorker article, Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam both described the violence they say they endured during their relationships with Schneiderman. Alcohol abuse seemed to be a factor in the nonconsensual violence, they said, and while neither woman reported Schneiderman's alleged abuse to the police, they say they did receive medical attention.

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