Separate investigations into the actions of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration have been and are anticipated to be discontinued by two district attorneys in the state, shattering the charges brought against him in his last months in office.
Cuomo, who was in his third term as governor, stepped down in August after a slew of scandals over the previous year, prompting New York Attorney General Letitia James to launch investigations into both his administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and sexual harassment allegations leveled against him.
Albany DA declines to prosecute former Gov. Andrew Cuomo
Cuomo's office was the subject of James's first investigation in 2020, following accusations that his administration minimized the seriousness of the outbreak in state nursing facilities. Cuomo's administration undercounted COVID-related fatalities in nursing homes by up to 50%, according to her research, which was issued in January of last year, Newsweek via MSN reported.
While the findings had little effect on the overall number of fatalities in New York, they did reignite criticism of Cuomo's policy on nursing facilities during the early stages of the pandemic. On Monday, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office abandoned its investigation against Cuomo over charges that he mismanaged nursing homes during the original coronavirus pandemic.
Cuomo was also got off the hook by the Westchester County district attorney last week after being accused of improperly groping a female state trooper and kissing a random lady while in office.
Brittany Commisso, a former Cuomo staffer and a current state employee who filed a criminal complaint against Cuomo with the Albany Sheriff's Office for groping her in the Executive Mansion in Albany, met with the Albany District Attorney's office on Monday and was told the case would not be prosecuted, according to sources.
Cuomo's sexual assault accusations
Cuomo resigned in August, a week after state Attorney General Letitia James issued a 168-page bombshell report accusing him of sexually harassing 11 women, including nine current or former state workers, as a result of the possibility of impeachment.
The report featured Commisso's allegations against the governor, albeit the specific date of the alleged grope was murky, as it said in one part that it occurred on November 16, but also included a footnote stating that Commisso couldn't recall the exact date. Rita Glavin, Cuomo's personal attorney, has attempted to discredit Commisso's charges by pointing up a mismatch in the timeframe mentioned in James's report, as per NY Post.
However, evidence discovered by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, which probed Cuomo's accusations, clarified the timeframe, particularly with regard to a December text that Commisso assisted the governor in sending to another staffer around the time of the alleged occurrence.
Cuomo was charged with sexual harassment by 11 women, according to a report by the New York Attorney General's office. Two additional prosecutor's offices, in Westchester County and Nassau County, declined to press charges against Cuomo based on claims made in their areas.
The former governor was accused of groping Brittany Commisso's breast during a meet in the governor's residence, according to Commisso. Per ABC News, Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing.
Commisso worked in Cuomo's office as an executive assistant. According to a report from the New York State Assembly Judiciary Committee, "She alleged a pattern of inappropriate conduct that began with flirtatious and sexually suggestive comments and escalated to hugging her tightly, kissing her on the cheek, occasionally turning his head to brush her lips, touching her buttocks on multiple occasions, massaging her buttocks while taking a'selfie' with her, and finally reaching under her shirt and groping her breast."
Related Article: New York Prosecutor Declines To Charge Ex-Governor Andrew Cuomo Despite Credible Allegations That He Kissed Two Women Against Their Will
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