Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, was charged on Thursday with a misdemeanor sex crime related to forcible touching.
The complaint was filed by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office but it was immediately followed with confusion as to whether it was prematurely filed. The one-page filing accused Cuomo of placing his hand under a woman’s shirt in December 2020.
A summons has been issued to Cuomo directing him to appear in Albany City Court on Nov. 17. He is reportedly expected to be arrested and booked sometime next week, the New York Post reported.
Albany County District Attorney David Soares addressed the confusion over the filing.
“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 said in a statement. “The Office of Court Administration has since made that filing public. Our office will not be commenting further on this case.”
If convicted of the crime of forcible touching, Cuomo could face up to year in jail and up to three years probation.
The vague allegations outlined in the filing fit the accusations made by Brittany Commisso, a former executive assistant to Cuomo. In an interview in August, Commisso said she was groped by Cuomo on several occasions and that he had subjected her to other instances of inappropriate conduct.
She described several of those instances at length. Her accusations were included in a damaging report on allegations made against Cuomo by numerous alleged victims by New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
“What he did was a crime,” Commisso said at the time. “He broke the law.”
Cuomo announced his resignation from the governor’s office in August after numerous allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment. He has outright denied many of the allegations but has also tried to downplay others, saying that he was misunderstood.
“In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone,” he said at the time. “But I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.”
Here’s more about the charge against Cuomo:
Former N.Y. Gov. Cuomo Charged With Forcible Touching
www.youtube.com