Sheriff: Aide Who Accused Cuomo of Groping Her Files Criminal Complaint

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference in Brentwood, N.Y., on April 12, 2021. (Michael M. Santiago/Pool via Reuters)

An aide who said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo groped her in the Executive Mansion has filed a criminal complaint against the Democrat, a sheriff said.

The complaint was filed during a meeting on Thursday with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Craig Apple told the New York Post.

If the allegations are substantiated, the governor could be arrested.

“The end result could either be it sounds substantiated and an arrest is made and it would be up to the DA to prosecute the arrest,” he said. “Just because of who it is we are not going to rush it or delay it.”

Apple told a press conference on Saturday that a female filed a complaint against the governor.

A lawyer representing the woman, who has not been identified publicly, wasn’t immediately available.

“Sheriff Apple is the chief law enforcement officer in Albany County and I contacted him on her behalf,” the lawyer, Brian Premo, told the Albany Times-Union.

Fabien Levy, press secretary and senior advisor for New York Attorney General Letitia James, said in a statement that the office “will cooperate fully with the Albany sheriff and turn over all evidence related to this complainant.”

Investigators tapped by the office investigated allegations against Cuomo by 11 women and announced this week that the governor did sexually harass the women.

“The independent investigation has concluded that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, and in doing so violated federal and state law,” Letitia James, the attorney general, told a press conference on Tuesday.

The aide who filed the complaint is described in the report as Executive Assistant #1.

The woman told the investigators that Cuomo groped her under her blouse at the mansion in November 2020.

That was part of a pattern of inappropriate conduct by Cuomo against the woman that was substantiated by investigators. The part included “close and intimate hugs,” at least one kiss on the lips, the grabbing of the woman’s buttocks, and inquiring whether the aide would cheat on her husband, according to the investigative report.

The aide kept the groping incident to herself but became emotional when she watched Cuomo claim during a press conference on March 3 that he had never “touched anyone inappropriately,” investigators said. She confided in colleagues, who reported her allegations to senior staff. The incident was leaked, and the media report that followed was part of the impetus for the investigation.

Cuomo denied in testimony to investigators touching anyone inappropriately, and specifically denied touching the aide inappropriately. He said he “may” have kissed some staff members on the lips, but insisted he had not done so to the executive assistant.

Cuomo painted the aide as the “initiator of the hugs” and said he would go along with them because he did not “want to make any one feel awkward about anything.”

Cuomo has refused to resign following the report’s publication, despite calls to step down from numerous Democrats in his state. Lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled legislature may try to impeach him.

At least four prosecutors are delving into the sexual harassment allegations. They are Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr., acting Nassau County District Attorney Joyce Smith, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Roach, and Albany County District Attorney David Soares.

A spokeswoman for Soares told The Epoch Times via email: “We are aware that there are media reports of formal complaints being filed in an ongoing inquiry being conducted by our office. We will not be confirming these reports, nor will any documents or information be disclosed and released from our office at this time. This is an ongoing matter that is under review.”