Andrew Cuomo Criminally Charged With Groping a Former Aide
Andrew Cuomo has been criminally charged with groping a former aide, Lucian Chalfen, a spokesperson for the Albany City Court confirmed to several outlets on Thursday. “A misdemeanor complaint was filed in Albany City Court against the former governor this afternoon,” Chalfen said.
Brittany Commisso filed a complaint with the Albany County Sheriff’s Department in August. Commisso accused Cuomo of reaching his hand under her blouse and groping her breast last year, as well as a 2019 incident in which he groped her butt while the two were taking a picture. Cuomo resigned as governor the week after Commisso filed her complaint, which came days after Attorney General Letitia James released a bombshell report finding that Cuomo “sexually harassed multiple women.”
The complaint attached to the charge says that Cuomo “intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose, forcibly place his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim and onto her intimate body part,” according to The New York Times, and that he groped the victim “for the purposes of degrading and gratifying his sexual desires, all contrary to the provisions of the statute.”
Cuomo has repeatedly denied he engaged in any sexual misconduct. “In my mind, I have never crossed the line with anyone,” Cuomo said in announcing his resignation. “But I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn. There have been generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate, and I should have. No excuses.”
This story is developing.