NEW YORK, May 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned Monday night amid an explosive report that he had been accused by four women of physical abuse.

"It's been my great honor and privilege to serve as Attorney General for the people of the State of New York," Schneiderman, 63, wrote in a statement.

"In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me."

"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," he said.

The New York State's top law enforcement officer's resignation came hours after The New Yorker released a story in which four women accused Schneiderman of physically abusing them.

Earlier, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a statement in light of "the damning pattern of facts and corroboration" in the article and urged Schneiderman to resign.

Schneiderman has been a prominent supporter of the "Me Too" movement and filed a suit against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, alleging civil and human rights violations stemming from Weinstein's alleged sexual misconduct.