The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday that it had concluded a thorough investigation into two sexual misconduct allegations against then-New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo and that while “credible evidence” was found, there will be no forthcoming charges against Cuomo.
The district attorney’s office outlined the two allegations that it investigated:
- A woman, identified as Trooper 1 in the Attorney General’s Report, alleged that, when Cuomo was the Governor and Trooper 1 was a member of his detail and on duty at his home in Mount Kisco, she asked the Governor if he needed anything and he responded by asking her if he could kiss her. She further indicated that she was concerned about the ramifications of denying the Governor’s request and so she said “sure.” The Governor then kissed her on the cheek and, as indicated in the Attorney General’s report, “said something to the effect of, ‘oh, I’m not supposed to do that’ or ‘unless that’s against the rules.”‘
- A second woman has alleged (publicly and to our investigators) that Cuomo grabbed her arm, pulled her toward him and kissed her on the cheek without seeking permission for such a greeting while the two were at an event at White Plains High School.
“Our investigation found credible evidence to conclude that the alleged conduct in both instances described above did occur,” Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah said in a statement. “However, in both instances, my Office has determined that, although the allegations and witnesses were credible, and the conduct concerning, we cannot pursue criminal charges due to the statutory requirements of the criminal laws of New York. This conclusion is unrelated to any possible civil liability which is beyond the scope of a District Attorney’s jurisdiction, which focuses solely on criminal laws.”
Rocah concluded by championing the “bravery of the women and witnesses who have cooperated with law enforcement,” adding that her office remains “committed to supporting them and all survivors.”
Late last week, Nassau County District Attorney Joyce Smith announced she would not prosecute Cuomo following an investigation by her office into allegations that he inappropriately touched a female state trooper in 2019.
“Our exhaustive investigation found the allegations credible, deeply troubling, but not criminal under New York law,” she 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. We thank the brave individuals who came forward and cooperated with our office during this investigation, and gratefully acknowledge our colleagues, Attorney General (Letitia) James and the New York State Assembly, for their diligence and collaboration.”
In early November, the sex-crime case against Cuomo in Albany County was “thrown into doubt on Friday after the Albany County, N.Y., district attorney delivered an extraordinary public denunciation of the local sheriff, saying the criminal complaint the sheriff filed last week was ‘potentially defective,’” The New York Times reported.
The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating Cuomo over sexual misconduct allegations.