New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Resigns Hours After Allegations Emerge of Physical Abuse

Four women have accused the attorney general of physical violence.

Eric T. SchneidermanSeth Wenig/AP Photo

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman just announced his resignation mere hours after the New Yorker published explosive allegations from four women detailing his physical abuse. 

Two of the women, Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Selvaratnam, said they had been choked and hit repeatedly by Mr. Schneiderman. Both said they had sought medical treatment. Another woman, a lawyer, said she was slapped violently across the face. A fourth woman also said she had similar experiences.

All the women in the article, who had been romantically involved with Mr. Schneiderman, said the violence was not consensual.

Schneiderman has denied the allegations, telling the New Yorker, “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.”

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier Monday called on Schneiderman to leave his post. “I do not believe it is possible for Eric Schneiderman to continue to serve as Attorney General, and for the good of the office, he should resign,” Cuomo said.

“No one is above the law, including New York’s top legal officer. I will be asking the appropriate New York District Attorney(s) to commence an immediate investigation and proceed as the facts merit.”

As attorney general, Schneiderman has clashed repeatedly with President Donald Trump, who is himself no stranger to allegations of abuse towards women. This did not go unnoticed by White House adviser Kellyanne Conway.

Her response did not go unnoticed by everyone else.

The resignation will become effective at the end of the business day Tuesday. 

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate