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Andrew Cuomo Facing Criminal Complaint Alleging Sexual Misconduct – The Hollywood Reporter

A legal criticism filed by a police investigator with a court docket in Albany has accused former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of committing a misdemeanor intercourse crime, although there was confusion Thursday over whether or not the doc was submitted in error.

The one-page criticism, filed by an investigator with the Albany County Sheriff’s Workplace, accused Cuomo of placing his hand underneath a girl’s shirt on Dec. 7, 2020. The doc didn’t identify the girl however Cuomo had been publicly accused of groping an aide, Brittany Commisso, on the govt mansion in Albany final 12 months round that date.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple didn’t return messages. The workplace of the county’s district lawyer, David Soares, which might deal with any prosecution and was concerned within the investigation, issued a press release saying it had been caught off guard by the submitting.

“Like the remainder of the general public, we had been stunned to study in the present day {that a} legal criticism was filed in Albany Metropolis Courtroom by the Albany County Sheriff’s Workplace in opposition to Andrew Cuomo,” it mentioned. “The Workplace of Courtroom Administration has since made that submitting public. Our workplace is not going to be commenting additional on this case.”

The Instances Union, of Albany, quoted unnamed officers as saying the criticism had been issued “prematurely” and {that a} remaining resolution hadn’t been made about whether or not Cuomo would face fees.

Cuomo’s lawyer and spokesperson didn’t instantly return messages looking for remark. A lawyer for Commisso additionally didn’t return a message.

Commisso, who was an govt assistant for Cuomo, says he reached underneath her shirt and fondled her once they had been alone in a room on the governor’s mansion in Albany.

She mentioned Cuomo pulled her in for a hug as she ready to go away his workplace on the mansion. When she instructed him, “you’re going to get us in bother,” Cuomo replied, “I don’t care,” and slammed the door shut, based on her account. Commisso mentioned Cuomo slid his hand up her shirt and grabbed her breast.

Cuomo has adamantly denied groping her, saying as soon as, “I must lose my thoughts to do such a factor.”

The crime of forcible touching is punishable in New York by as much as 12 months in jail and as much as three years probation, with discretion for the court docket to impose lesser penalties together with no jail time.

The Related Press doesn’t normally establish alleged sexual assault victims except they determine to inform their tales publicly, as Commisso has finished in newspaper and tv interviews.

Commisso filed a criticism with the county sheriff in August in the identical week a report from state Legal professional Common Letitia James concluded the Democratic governor sexually harassed 11 girls and labored to retaliate in opposition to one in every of his accusers. Different accusations outlined within the report vary from planting undesirable kisses to asking unwelcome private questions on intercourse and relationship.

Cuomo introduced his resignation per week after the discharge of the blistering report, marking a dramatic downfall for the third-term governor who had been seen as a beacon of sturdy competence throughout his each day COVID-19 briefings in 2020. He attacked the lawyer common’s report as inaccurate and biased.

James, whose workplace will not be concerned within the legal investigation of Cuomo, issued a press release saying her civil probe had been performed “with out concern or favor.”

“The legal fees introduced in the present day in opposition to Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching additional validate the findings in our report,” she mentioned.

James is alleged to be near saying that she is going to run for governor, a number of individuals with data of her plans have instructed The Related Press.

Commisso was known as “Government Assistant #1” within the report however publicly revealed her id after its launch. She is the one lady talked about within the lawyer common’s report recognized to have filed a legal criticism.

Cuomo lawyer Rita Glavin has mentioned that Commisso’s “story modified over time” and claimed data confirmed the 2 had been unlikely to have frolicked alone through the interval in query.

The criticism filed by the sheriff’s division investigator mentioned proof within the case included police BlackBerry messages, cellphone data, constructing safety data and a textual content message from Cuomo’s cell phone. The criticism was signed by the officer Monday and stamped by the court docket as acquired Thursday.

District attorneys in Oswego, Manhattan, suburban Westchester and Nassau counties additionally had mentioned they requested for investigative supplies from the lawyer common’s inquiry to see if any of the allegations might end in legal fees.

Additionally, the Meeting Judiciary Committee is finishing a wide-ranging impeachment investigation of Cuomo that started earlier than he resigned. The additionally had been trying on the administration’s dealing with of COVID-19 information and efforts to hurry COVID-19 testing for Cuomo’s interior circle in spring 2020.

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