Cuomo’s sexual harassment charge referred to Albany Police

ALBANY, NY – Officials from the Albany Police Department said on Thursday that they had been informed by New York State Police and the Governor’s Office of a suspected incident at the Executive Mansion involving Governor Andrew M Cuomo and an assistant who might have risen. at the level of a crime.

Steve Smith, an Albany Police spokesperson, said the department had not received a formal complaint from the woman, who was not identified, but had contacted a lawyer for her.

This does not mean, said Smith, that the department opened a criminal investigation, but offered its services to the alleged victim, “as we would with any other report or incident.”

Albany Police officials said they heard from state police on Wednesday evening after an article was published in the Times Union of Albany which detailed the charges by an unidentified assistant to the governor who accused Mr Cuomo for having fiddled with it at the governor’s mansion, where he lives.

William Duffy, a state police spokesperson, confirmed contact with the Albany department, saying it was “to facilitate contact with the executive chamber regarding the alleged incident.”

Mr Smith said Deputy Police Chief Edward Donohue, who oversees the department’s criminal investigation unit, then spoke with the governor’s attorney.

The governor’s acting attorney, Beth Garvey, confirmed the conversation, saying she made the appeal and reported the allegations, after a female aid lawyer told the governor’s office that the aide did not want to file a report.

“In accordance with state policy, when allegations of physical contact are made, the agency advises the complainant to contact their local police department,” Garvey said in a statement. “If they refuse, the agency has an obligation to reach out and notify the ministry of the allegation.”

“In this case, the person is represented by a lawyer and when the lawyer confirmed that the client did not want to make a report, the state informed the police department and gave them the information of the lawyer”, Ms. Garvey added.

Although the actions of the police department are part of standard procedure, the situation highlighted the criminal risks Mr. Cuomo faces if the aide decides to lay charges for unwanted contact.

The assistant, who is younger than Mr. Cuomo, was summoned to the governor’s private residence on the second floor to help him solve a technical problem when Mr. Cuomo reached under his blouse and began to laze around. touch, the Times Union said.

On Wednesday, the governor denied any wrongdoing.

“I’ve never done anything like this,” Cuomo said in a statement, adding that the report was “heartbreaking.”

Mr Cuomo, a third-term Democrat, said he would not “speak to the details of this or any other allegation,” citing an ongoing investigation overseen by state attorney general Letitia James.

“I am confident in the outcome of the Attorney General’s report,” Cuomo said.

An office supervisor became aware of the assistant’s allegation on March 3 when Mr. Cuomo, following multiple allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior, issued a televised apology in which he denied touching anyone. whether it is inappropriately. The newspaper reported that the supervisor noticed that the assistant became emotional during the governor’s speech and that the assistant subsequently informed the supervisor of his meeting with the governor.

The aide had not filed a formal complaint with the governor’s office, the newspaper reported, but the allegation was forwarded this week to the state attorney general.