Ex-Gov. Cuomo won’t be prosecuted over alleged groping of female trooper
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo won’t be prosecuted for allegedly groping a female state trooper at Long Island’s Belmont Park — despite a determination that the woman’s claims are “credible” and “deeply troubling,” the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
In a prepared statement, acting Nassau DA Joyce Smith said her office had concluded its probe into the Sept. 23, 2019, incident detailed by Attorney General Letitia James in the bombshell sexual harassment report that forced Cuomo to resign in August.
“Our exhaustive investigation found the allegations credible, deeply troubling, but not criminal under New York law,” Smith said.
The unidentified trooper, who was serving as one of Cuomo’s bodyguards at the time, told James’ investigators that Cuomo ran the palm of his left hand across her belly as she was holding a door open for him, according to James’ report.
The trooper said she felt “completely violated because to me, like that’s between my chest and my privates,” the report said.
In her statement, Smith said, “It is important to note that our investigation was limited to alleged conduct at Belmont Racetrack, and prosecutors in other jurisdictions continue to review other allegations of misconduct by Mr. Cuomo.”
Smith’s decision not to prosecute Cuomo, 64, was first reported by Newsday.
District attorneys in Manhattan, Albany and Westchester and Oswego counties all launched investigations based on the allegations in James’ report.
In October, Cuomo was charged with forcible touching, a misdemeanor, for allegedly reaching under the blouse of an aide, Brittany Commisso, and grabbing her left breast during a Dec. 7 incident inside Albany’s Executive Mansion, the governor’s official residence.
Cuomo, who’s scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 7 in Albany City Court, has denied any wrongdoing in that incident and the others detailed in James’ report, which accused him of sexually harassing 11 women, including nine current or former state workers.
A spokesman for Cuomo attacked James’ report in a prepared response, reiterating past criticisms.
“With each passing day it becomes more and more clear that the Attorney General’s report was the intersection of gross prosecutorial misconduct and an abuse of government power for political purposes. Her press conference proclaimed ’11 cases of violations of federal and state laws,’ ignited the cancel culture mentality and started a media and political stampede against Governor Cuomo,” said Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo’s senior advisor and director of communications who is now employed by the ex-pol’s campaign.
“James never presented the evidence to support such claims, her report omitted important exculpatory facts, she admitted her personal interference in preparing the report and had still refused to answer any questions from the press. It was obviously a political springboard to remove Governor Cuomo so she could run for office, however it was so poorly done and obviously it backfired and James’ run for governor lasted only 5 weeks,” he added.
