Andrew Cuomo charged over alleged groping of former aide: source
Category: News & Politics
Via: vic-eldred • 3 years ago • 26 commentsBy: By Julia Marsh, Carl Campanile, Bernadette Hogan and Bruce Golding
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo was charged Thursday with groping a former aide in Albany’s Executive Mansion — a crime that could force him to register as a sex offender if he’s convicted.
A misdemeanor criminal complaint filed in Albany City Court alleges that Cuomo, 63, “did intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim…and onto her intimate body part,”
“Specifically, the victims [sic] left breast for the purposes of degrading and satisfying his sexual desire,” it adds.
The incident allegedly took place on the afternoon of Dec. 7 on the second floor of Albany’s Executive Mansion, the governor’s official residence.
The name of the alleged victim was redacted from the complaint but the allegations line up with those made by former Cuomo aide Brittany Commisso, 33.
The complaint charges Cuomo with forcible touching, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
It’s unclear when the former governor will be arrested, booked and arraigned but a source briefed on the matter told The Post the arrest would likely take place next week.
If convicted as charged, Cuomo would have to register as a sex offender and a judge would decide on his likely risk of committing another sex crime.
If he were deemed to pose a moderate or high risk to the community, his photograph, name, address and other information would be posted online.
Albany County District Attorney David Soares opened a criminal investigation of Cuomo, 63, on Aug. 3, shortly after state Attorney General Letitia James detailed the alleged groping incident in a report that accused the then-governor of sexually harassing 11 women, including nine current or former state workers.
Six days later, Commisso, an administrative assistant in the governor’s office, went public in a tearful interview on “CBS This Morning” during which she said Cuomo “put his hand up my blouse and cupped my breast over my bra” inside Albany’s Executive Mansion in November.
“The governor needs to be held accountable,” said Commisso, 33.
“What he did to me was a crime. He broke the law.”
Cuomo — who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing — announced his resignation the next day, saying that “my instinct is to fight” but “the best way I can help now is if I step aside.”
Cuomo’s looming arrest is believed to be the reason that James decided to tell a key union leader on Wednesday that she’ll launch a campaign for governor “shortly,” the source briefed on the matter said.
James is expected to announce her primary challenge of Gov. Kathy Hochul ahead of Cuomo’s arrest, the source briefed on the matter said.
On Aug. 30, Commisso spent “several hours” being interviewed by investigators after law enforcement officials issued several subpoenas related to her allegations, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple has said.
The alleged groping of Commisso is the most serious incident detailed in James’ report, which also accused Cuomo of grabbing women’s butts and running his hand across the belly of a female state trooper assigned to his protective detail.
In addition to Soares, four other New York district attorneys — in Manhattan as well as Nassau, Westchester and Oswego counties — have said they’re investigating various allegations contained in James’ report.
Lawyers for Cuomo and Commisso didn’t immediately return requests for comment.
But a lawyer for two other women referenced in James’s report — Alyssa McGrath, a co-worker and friend of Commisso, and Virginia Limmiats — said that “Cuomo is being held to account as he should be, including by being forced to answer a criminal charge.”
“We hope that all men who abuse their power by abusing women will see this and understand that there will be real consequences to their profoundly damaging behavior,” lawyer Marianna Wang added.
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In normal times Cuomo would have been prosecuted for his handling and hiding of NY nursing homes during the pandemic.
The man who was almost a presidential candidate.
We shall remember him thus:
"The wretch, concentred all in self, Living, shall forfeit fair renown, And, doubly dying, shall go down To the vile dust from whence he sprung,Unwept, unhonored, and unsung.".. Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
He is being charged with a sexual assault so I would think you'd be happy that a Democrat, who made it all the way to "almost a presidential candidate" is being prosecuted. I am.
I'm questioning the values of a society that has placed sexual assault over sending people to their deaths.
The Governor cannot force a person to live in a nursing home nor is he required to provide alternative housing for people in nursing homes. Considering that everything is legal unless there's a law specifically making it illegal what law are you suggesting that he broke there?
Putting infected people back into nursing homes is the equivalent of murder.
Who FORCED them to go there?
The equivalent of murder? Is that a law?
You two are defending his actions in this case?
Amazing!
I'm not defending anybody. I'm not a New Yorker and I don't really follow their politics but he was their Governor. Governors have to make a lot of decisions and sometimes they make mistakes. That doesn't make it a crime. If they have enough evidence to charge him with sexual assault, and it appears they do, he should definitely stand trial and face whatever repercussions come from that.
As a New Yorker I agree.
BS, your comment defends his actions. Our Governor isn't a dandy but she didn't require that COVID patients be put in Nursing homes.
I've had a parent in a Nursing Home since before COVID. They have lost zero patients to COVID to date. This is due to the stringent controls they put in place almost from day one. At one put i didn't get to see my parent for almost one year. It sucked big time but was necessary.
Cuomo messed up and he should be held accountable for it.
So... Tyranny worked for your parent. Good for you. It's a good thing nobody in that nursing home demanded their rights.
Cuomo did. He ordered them to be sent to those nursing homes.
I hope you never have to experience something like it .... "tyranny" as you call, it help protect 600+ patients in that facility from certain death. A lesson in COVID success.
Cuomo .... not so much. He just served up those thousands of family members to the grim reaper.... and you defend him for it. Amazing.
It really is amazing watching liberals trying to define what is tyranny is and what it is not.
I'm not sure how CDC-recommended quarantines for highly vulnerable populations constitute "tyranny". That seems a bit batshit.
I am sure that forcing nursing homes full of highly vulnerable people to house non-residents infected with an incredibly contagious and deadly disease just so he could appear self-righteous on TV is among the dumbest fucking things I've ever heard of and could certainly be described as criminal negligence.
Not a bit but 100% cra-cra ....
I'm sure there was a mask mandate in there somewhere but if elderly people who are fortunate enough to live independently have to go get groceries they're on their own. Oh well. As long as your right to spew your viral load everywhere is protected we're still in America.
Your rationalizations make absolutely no sense. Nothing but self centered, narcissistic nonsense.
I'm glad the medical director at that facility had the balls required to protect my father from fucked up policy like NYC's. I have no doubt he is alive today because of it. If i lived in NY i'd be calling for cuomo's head as well while liberals still appear to be kissing ass. Which is the epitome of disgusting. Just plain disgusting.
Where are they going to live? Are the Democrats for putting the elderly out on the streets to live?
The compassion here is overwhelming..../s
I’ll let you guys hash out the nursing home issue. I would just like to say that until we as a society reach the point of greeting people by reaching under their shirts and giving their breast a firm shake he has earned whatever punishment he gets.
Both Cuomo boys are pigs.
It's unbelievable watching folks here call Trump a pig while they are defending people like the Cuomo boys.
Unbelievable!
It is unbelievable. If this article were about Trump, I have no doubt there would be a lot more interest in this article.
I agree they are both pigs!!
If this article was about Trump the internet would break from all the TDS shockwaves ....
"...a crime that could force him to register as a sex offender..."
Is that party on the ballot?