Court spokesperson: Ex-NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo charged with misdemeanor sex crime

ALBANY, N.Y. — Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo has been charged with a misdemeanor sex crime complaint for allegedly groping a woman at the state’s Executive Mansion last year, according to a court spokesperson.

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The spokesperson, Lucian Chalfen, said in a statement Thursday that the complaint was filed in Albany City Court, The Washington Post reported.

“A misdemeanor complaint against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been filed in Albany City Court,” Chalfen said. “As this is a sex crime, a redacted complaint will be available shortly.”

Update 12:04 a.m. EDT Oct. 29: In a statement, Cuomo’s attorney, Rita Glavin, denied the charges and questioned the integrity of Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple.

“Governor Cuomo has never assaulted anyone, and Sheriff Apple’s motives here are patently improper,” Glavin said. “Sheriff Apple didn’t even tell the District Attorney what he was doing.”

Apple told CNN in a statement that he was not surprised by Glavin’s claim.

“I would expect nothing less from that camp,” Apple said. “We get paid to protect people and help people that’s exactly what we are doing.”

Original report: A spokesperson for Cuomo did not immediately comment on the report, according to the Post.

Warning: Complaint contains graphic material.

The complaint came more than two months after Brittany Commisso, a former aide to the former governor, filed a criminal complaint against him with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, The New York Times reported. She accused him of groping her breast while they were alone in his residence late last year.

Cuomo announced his resignation a week after the release of a 165-page report by New York’s attorney general on Aug. 3 that found that the then-governor had sexually harassed numerous women, including current and former government employees, the newspaper reported.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement that her office “proceeded without fear or favor.”

“The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validates the findings in our report.”

>> New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigns effective in 14 days, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul to replace him

According to a copy of the complaint, the alleged incident took place on Dec. 7, 2020, at the governor’s mansion, the Post reported. It alleges that Cuomo “did intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim” and “onto her intimate body part.”

“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,” the complaint reads. “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 victim is not named in the complaint, according to the Post.

Commisso, who was an executive assistant to Cuomo, said he reached under her shirt and fondled her when they were alone in a room at the governor’s mansion late last year, according to The Associated Press.

Cuomo has denied groping Commisso, saying at one point, “I would have to lose my mind to do such a thing.”

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