Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was charged with a misdemeanor sex violation in a court in Albany, the state capital, the first prosecution arising from a misbehavior scandal that forced his retirement.
The Albany County Sheriff's Office filed a complaint accusing Cuomo of grabbing a woman beneath her blouse, which was confirmed by Lucian Chalfen, a representative for the New York state courts, in an emailed statement, describing the alleged conduct as a "sex crime."
The 63-year-old governor, who resigned two months ago in the wake of rising pressure from prominent Democrats, including Vice President Joe Biden, is scheduled to appear in court on November 17 on a summons issued on Thursday but not yet served, according to the Albany Times Union newspaper.
Rita Gavin, Cuomo's legal counsel, disclosed to local media outlets that the governor was innocent and questioned Sheriff Craig Apple's handling of the inquiry, claiming he did not even inform the district attorney what he was doing.
"This is not law enforcement on a professional level; this is pure politics," Gavin stated.
David Soares, the district attorney for Albany County, made a statement implying that the sheriff acted independently of local prosecutors.
"Like the rest of the public, we were astonished to discover today that the Albany County Sheriff's Office filed a criminal charge against Andrew Cuomo in Albany City Court," Soares remarked. He declined to elaborate.
Cuomo made the misdemeanor act of forcible touching on Dec. 7, 2020, in the governor's executive residence, a copy of the complaint provided online by WNBC-TV in New York showed.
The governor, according to the complaint document, "placed his hand beneath the victim's blouse... and onto her intimate body part."
Cuomo fondled the woman's breast "with the purpose of humiliating and fulfilling his sexual impulses," the lawsuit continues, but the woman's identity has been redacted.
The New York Post has reported that Cuomo is set to be arrested next week and charged with molesting a former staffer.
Cuomo resigned as governor in August after more than a decade in office, following a 168-page investigation detailing allegations that he sexually harassed 11 women.
