Politics

Andrew Cuomo Files for Retirement — Reportedly Up to $50K a Year — After Resignation amid Scandal

Cuomo announced he was leaving office following a report by the state attorney general that found he sexually harassed several current and former employees

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Published on August 20, 2021 06:42 PM

After he steps down as governor of New York in the wake of an investigation that found he "sexually harassed multiple women," Andrew Cuomo will enjoy the benefits of his retirement.

A spokesman from the New York State Comptroller's office confirmed to PEOPLE that Cuomo, 63, filed for retirement on Aug. 17 and that it will be effective Sept. 1.

"By law, a service retirement application must be on file with the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) at least 15 days, but not more than 90 days, before the date on which the member's retirement will occur," Matthew Sweeney, assistant communications director at the New York State Comptroller's office, told PEOPLE in an email.

"Since Andrew Cuomo filed for retirement Tues., the earliest the service retirement could take effect was September 1, 2021," Sweeney said. (A spokesman for Cuomo did not respond to a request for comment.)

The New York State and Local Retirement System does not provide estimates as to what someone's pension might be. According to Sweeney, there are too many variables, such as leaving a benefit for a family member.

But the comptroller's office says that Cuomo is a Tier 4 member of the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System.

As of July 31, he has 14.56 years of service behind him, including 11 working as governor and four as the state's attorney general.

Using the comptroller's online calculator, which only provides estimates for employee pensions based on years of service, other news outlets have estimated Cuomo's pension at approximately $50,000 a year.

Cuomo announced his exit days after the release of a report by New York Attorney General Letitia James, which determined that Cuomo engaged in "unwanted groping, kisses, hugging, and making inappropriate comments" with both current and former New York state employees. She added that the actions "created a hostile work environment for women."

In a press conference earlier this month, Cuomo said he would step down. He will be replaced by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.

"I would never want to be unhelpful in any way. And I think that given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing," he said.

He insisted he had not acted intentionally inappropriately, despite the accounts of 11 women corroborated by the report.

One of the women in the report, a former Cuomo assistant named Brittany Commisso, said last week that "what he did to me was a crime."

The state attorney general's investigation into Cuomo came on the heels of several current or former staffers accusing the governor of inappropriate workplace behavior including sexual harassment and assault.

James explained during her own press conference that the investigation determined that Cuomo engaged in "unwanted groping, kisses, hugging, and making inappropriate comments" with both current and former New York state employees.

She added that the actions "created a hostile work environment for women."

As governor, Cuomo took in an annual salary of $225,000, according to Forbes, and has made further income from the sales of his books: Crossroads: The Future of American Politics, published in 2003; All Things Possible: Setbacks and Success in Politics and Life in 2014; and 2020's controversial American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.