New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office has requested that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office preserve all documents that could be relevant to the sexual harassment investigation.
Three women have accused the Democrat of sexual misconduct. He is also accused of allegedly undercounting coronavirus nursing home deaths.
James formally launched the investigation earlier this week.
The preservation request was made for members of Cuomo’s staff including aides and includes electronic communications as well, a spokesperson for James confirmed to NBC News.
We received this request March 1 and our counsel’s office acted promptly and notified all chamber staff of their obligations associated with that. https://t.co/pPRZnGNWOd
— Rich Azzopardi (@RichAzzopardi) March 5, 2021
Rich Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Cuomo, tweeted confirmation of the request on Friday.
Cuomo has addressed the claims, admitting that he “made people feel uncomfortable.”
“I fully support a woman’s right to come forward. And I think it should be encouraged in every way,” he said. “I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable. It was unintentional. And I truly and deeply apologize for it.”
“I feel awful about it,” Cuomo said. “And frankly, I am embarrassed by it. And that’s not easy to say. But that’s the truth. But this is what I want you to know, and I want you to know this from me directly. I never touched anyone inappropriately.”
On Monday James’ office received a referral letter from Cuomo’s office authorizing them to “conduct an inquiry into allegations of and circumstances surrounding sexual harassment claims made against the Governor.”