Andrew Cuomo: Misdemeanor complaint filed against former governor related to sex crime, court says

Law enforcement alleges Cuomo ‘forcibly’ touched victim at governor’s mansion

A criminal complaint has been filed against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for allegedly groping a victim inside the governor’s mansion while he was in office.

“A Misdemeanor Complaint against former Governor Andrew Cuomo has been filed in Albany City Court” for a “sex crime,” Lucian Chalfen, director of public information for the state’s court system, said in a statement to The Independent on 28 October.

A complaint from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and shared with The Independent alleges that Mr Cuomo “forcibly place[d] his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim” while at the governor’s mansion on 7 December, 2020 “for the purposes of degrading and gratifying his sexual desires.”

“Forcible touching” is a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to one year in prison, if convicted.

Mr Cuomo resigned from his third term in office in August following widespread allegations of sexual harassment and abuse and the likelihood of a weeks-long impeachment investigation should he remain in Albany.

In his final public appearance in his third term as governor, Mr Cuomo continued to dismiss the allegations as politically motivated during a 16-minute prerecorded video message.

A report from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Mr Cuomo of “engaging in unwelcome and nonconsensual touching, as well as making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women.”

The complaint was initially reported by New York Focus, though a report from The Times Union in Albany said a criminal summons was issued erroneously and without the consent of the alleged victim after the sheriff’s investigator shared the complaint with the court.

A sheriff’s office spokesperson did not provide additional comment when reached by The Independent.

The Independent has requested comment from Mr Cuomo.

Attorney General James said the charges issued on Thursday “validate the findings in our report.”

“From the moment my office received the referral to investigate allegations that former Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, we proceeded without fear or favor,” she said in a statement shared by her office.