NEW YORK — New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who had taken on high-profile roles as an advocate for women's issues and an antagonist to the policies of President Trump, announced late Monday that he would be resigning from office hours after four women he was romantically involved with accused him of physical violence in accounts published by The New Yorker. "It's been my great honor and privilege to serve as Attorney General for the people of the State of New York," Schneiderman said in a statement late-Monday night. N.Y. Attorney General Schneiderman resigns amid allegations of violence toward women

Schneiderman, a #MeToo champion, strongly denied the allegations but said they would interfere with doing his job properly. Schneiderman, who had been running for re-election, said he contested the women's accounts, but "while these allegations 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.”

In the article published late on Monday, the New Yorker reported that four women who said they had had romantic relationships or encounters with Schneiderman said they had been subjected to nonconsensual physical violence. "Ronan Farrow, who reported and wrote the story with colleague Jane Mayer, today told ABC News' "Good Morning America" the women had been reluctant to come forward for a long time "because of Schneiderman's power and influence within the Democratic party. A fourth woman, an attorney who has held prominent positions in the New York legal community, says that Schneiderman made an advance toward her; when she rebuffed him, he slapped her across the face with such force that it left a mark that lingered the next day.”

Schneiderman is a high-profile Democrat who has feuded with President Trump on various issues, including suing the administration over its plan to obtain citizenship information in the 2020 census. In a statement following The New Yorker report's publication, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called for Schneiderman to resign, and said he will be asking an "appropriate" New York district attorney to start an investigation immediately. They considered whether to announce the Attorney General was heading to a rehabilitation program.One person suggested denying something that seemed true and the group advised against lying, the individuals with knowledge of the discussions told ABC News.The first public statement - in which Schneiderman denied assaulting anyone but said that he "engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity" -- was issued in an effort to stanch the bleeding while holding back some material that might be suitable for second- or third-day statements, the individuals said.As the evening progressed, there was no thought about the blow that might come. "I have not assaulted anyone," he said. "I have never engaged in non-consensual sex, which is I line I would not cross." More: The #MeToo survivors we forgot

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Schneiderman has positioned himself as a champion of the #MeToo movement, suing Harvey Weinstein and The Weinstein Company in the wake of the sexual-harassment scandal that spurred a national reckoning over the way men treat women. He filed a lawsuit in February against movie producer Harvey Weinstein and the Weinstein Co. following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, saying the company broke New York law by failing to protect employees from “pervasive sexual harassment, intimidation and discrimination.”

He launched a civil rights probe into the New York City-based company in October after The New York Times and The New Yorker exposed allegations of sexual assault and harassment spanning decades.
Attorney General of New York Eric Schneiderman, whose office sued The Weinstein Company for sexual harassment and discrimination, resigns amid allegations of violence towards four women during his tenure as Attorney General.