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

A prison grievance 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 grievance, filed by an investigator with the Albany County Sheriff’s Workplace, accused Cuomo of placing his hand beneath a girl’s shirt on Dec. 7, 2020. The doc didn’t identify the lady however Cuomo had been publicly accused of groping an aide, Brittany Commisso, on the government mansion in Albany final yr 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 an announcement saying it had been caught off guard by the submitting.

“Like the remainder of the general public, we have been stunned to be taught immediately {that a} prison grievance 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 won’t be commenting additional on this case.”

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

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

Commisso, who was an government assistant for Cuomo, says he reached beneath her shirt and fondled her after they have 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 depart his workplace on the mansion. When she informed 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 yr 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 often determine alleged sexual assault victims until they resolve to inform their tales publicly, as Commisso has achieved in newspaper and tv interviews.

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

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 every day COVID-19 briefings in 2020. He attacked the lawyer basic’s report as inaccurate and biased.

James, whose workplace isn’t concerned within the prison investigation of Cuomo, issued an announcement saying her civil probe had been performed “with out concern or favor.”

“The prison costs introduced immediately in opposition to Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching additional validate the findings in our report,” she mentioned.

James is claimed to be near asserting that she’s going to run for governor, a number of folks with data of her plans have informed 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 girl talked about within the lawyer basic’s report recognized to have filed a prison grievance.

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

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

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

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