Schneiderman's 'Stunning' Fall Took 2 Hours, 59 Minutes

The New Yorker published its story alleging that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman physically abused four women at 6:47pm Eastern on Monday, and Schneiderman announced his resignation at 9:46pm, not quite three hours later, notes CNN media writer Brian Stelter. It was a "stunning" turn of events, he writes, given that Schneiderman has been a leading voice in the #MeToo movement and his office is suing Harvey Weinstein. Schneiderman "strongly contests" the allegations that he hit and choked the women without their consent during relationships, but his last day on the job is Tuesday.

• Critics pounce: Schneiderman's enemies are reveling in the news, particularly allies of President Trump, notes the Washington Post. Donald Trump Jr. and Kellyanne Conway both called attention to Schneiderman's statement last year that "no one is above the law, and I’ll continue to remind President Trump and his administration of that fact everyday." Conway tweeted "Gotcha" and Trump Jr. tweeted "You were saying?"

• Weinstein, Manafort: The resignation should not greatly affect the investigation against Weinstein, given that Schneiderman had announced last week that he was putting a deputy in charge, reports Fortune. Another high-profile case his replacement must handle is the investigation into former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. It wasn't clear how far the state's Manafort investigation has advanced.
• 'Consensual': In his response to the story, the 63-year-old Schneiderman said that "in the privacy of intimate relationships, I have engaged in role-playing and other consensual sexual activity," per the AP. "I have not assaulted anyone. I have never engaged in non-consensual sex, which is a line I would not cross." However, his accusers say he slapped, choked, and verbally abused them without their consent, and the women also say he was a heavy drinker.
• Roles reverse: The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said Monday night that it was investigating Schneiderman in the wake of the report. The New York Post notes that Schneiderman had been looking into how Vance's office had handled the Weinstein allegations.
• Now what? The state Senate and Assembly will pick a replacement to serve out Schneiderman's term, which runs through the end of the year, per the Democrat and Chronicle. Voters will elect a new attorney general in November.

(More New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman stories.)