The gaping disparity between Cuomo’s publicly declared commitment to stamping out abuse and harassment and his alleged private behavior has emerged as one of the most staggering aspects of a scandal that seems on track to lead to an early end to his governorship. An examination of the report’s findings compared with Cuomo’s contemporaneous public statements reveals a leader who appeared completely to detach his personal behavior from his public persona…

Through it all, the governor publicly maintained the posture of a crusader for women’s rights, leading what he called a “societal change” in the way powerful men treated women. His administration, according to the attorney general’s office, broke the state’s own laws that the governor had hailed by retaliating against a victim. In all, he harassed 11 women in violation of state and federal laws, the investigation found…

“There is a very twisted view, a very twisted psychology with men like Cuomo, who think they are helping women,” said Debra Katz, a lawyer who represents Bennett. “He passes the most far-reaching legislation in the United States protecting women from sexual harassment, but the way he comported himself behind closed doors in the workplace is classic sexual harassment.”