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NY governor faces criminal complaint over sexual harassment

August 6, 2021

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo faces several allegations of sexual harassment. Cuomo has refused to step down, despite growing calls for his resignation.

https://p.dw.com/p/3yfOi
Andrew Cuomo
An independent investigation concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women Image: STRMX/zz/NDZ/STAR MAX/IPx/picture alliance

A former employee of New York governor Andrew Cuomo filed a criminal complaint against him for sexual harassment, the Albany County sheriff's department confirmed on Friday.

The criminal complaint is the first one to be filed related to alleged misconduct by Cuomo.

What is the governor accused of?

The aide, who was an executive assistant at the time, accused Cuomo of reaching under her shirt and groping her breasts while they were alone together at the governor's mansion last year. 

She also told investigators that Cuomo had rubbed her buttocks while they were posing together for a photo.

The criminal complaint comes days after New York State Attorney Letitia James unveiled the results of an independent investigation that her office had overseen, which concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women and retaliated against one of his accusers.

James said Cuomo broke both federal and state laws forbidding sexual harassment in the workplace, but added that her office would not be prosecuting the governor. 

The governor has denied the allegations against him and while his lawyers acknowledged that Cuomo and the woman met together on the day that the events took place, they said he never groped her.

Cuomo refuses to resign

In the wake of the findings of the special investigation, calls for Cuomo's resignation have grown.

Prominent Democrats, including US President Joe Biden, have suggested Cuomo should step down.

The governor has not spoken to reporters since the report's release on Tuesday and hasn't appeared in public. His office has not addressed the allegations and instead, published press releases on his administration's policy initiatives.

But the governor is also facing pressure from the state legislature, which has signaled its willingness to remove him from office. 

The state assembly's judiciary committee plans to discuss the possibility of impeachment proceedings, while a majority of members of the legislative body have said they favor an impeachment trial if he won't resign.

jcg/rs (AP, Reuters)