brittany-commisso-cuomo
NEW YORK (77WABC) – A sex crime case has been filed against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the state court system, confirmed a misdemeanor complaint against Cuomo had been filed in a “sex crime” case in Albany City Court. The complaint was signed by the officer Monday and stamped by the court as received Thursday.
Cuomo is expected to surrender to authorities sometime next week to be arrested and booked, New York Post sources said. Cuomo’s lawyer, Rita Glavin, said in a statement to local media outlets that he was innocent and questioned Sheriff Craig Apple’s handling of the case, saying he “didn’t even tell the district attorney what he was doing.”
“This is not professional law enforcement; this is politics,” she said.
Sheriff Apple speaking with reporters Friday, say’s there’s an overwhelming amount of evidence on Cuomo.
The district attorney for Albany County, David Soares, issued a separate statement suggesting that the sheriff had acted independently of local prosecutors.
“Like the rest of the public, we were surprised to learn today that a criminal complaint was filed in Albany City Court by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office against Andrew Cuomo,” Soares stated. He declined to comment further.
A copy of the one-page complaint from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, obtained by 77WABC, alleges that Cuomo committed the misdemeanor act of forcible touching at his official residence on the afternoon of Dec. 7 last year, between 3:51 p.m. and 4:07 p.m.
“At the aforesaid date time and location the defendant Andrew M. Cuomo did intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim [redacted] and into her intimate body part. Specifically, the victims (sic) left breast for the purposes of degrading and gratifying his sexual desires, all contrary to the provisions of the statute in such case made and provided,” the complaint reads.
The accuser is identified as executive assistant number 1 in AG Letitia James’ report on allegations of sexual harassment by Cuomo against 11 women. Cuomo had been accused of groping former aide Brittany Commisso at the executive mansion in December of last year.
Commisso’s lawyer said in a statement to the Albany Times-Union that they too were caught off guard by the charges being filed.
“It was my client’s understanding that the district attorney’s office was in agreement with the sheriff’s department that it was going to conduct a thorough, impartial and apolitical evaluation of the case, and only after completion of the investigation, speak to my client to allow her to make an informed decision as to whether she would proceed as a victim,” the attorney said. “Like the district attorney’s office, she was informed about this recent filing though media.”
The complaint charges Cuomo with forcible touching, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
