Sheriff: Overwhelming evidence against Cuomo

ALBANY, New York (WWNY) – The day after a criminal complaint was filed against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Albany County Sheriff described the evidence against Cuomo as “overwhelming.”

Cuomo was charged with violent touch, an offense.

“I don’t know if it will go to court. I think we have an overwhelming amount of evidence. We have a victim who cooperates every day and every step, ”Sheriff Craig Apple said at a press conference on Friday afternoon.

The unilateral complaint filed by an investigator at the Albany County Sheriff’s Office accused Cuomo of putting his hand under a woman’s shirt on December 7, 2020. The document did not name the woman, but Cuomo had been publicly accused of groping an assistant, Brittany Commisso, at the Albany mansion around that date last year.

Cuomo has denied touching anyone inappropriately. His lawyer said in a statement Thursday that the Democrat had never attacked anyone and that “the sheriff’s motives here are obviously inappropriate”.

The indictment against Cuomo is the latest chapter in his fall from political heights. A year ago, he was widely acclaimed for dealing with the COVID-19 crisis in New York.

But after nearly a dozen women complained about Cuomo’s behavior and it was revealed that his government underestimated the true number of COVID deaths in nursing homes at the beginning of the crisis, Cuomo’s political star fell and fell quickly.

A scathing report on the sexual harassment allegations made by Attorney General Letitia James in August finally got Cuomo on hand. He resigned and was replaced by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.

Apple, the Albany County Sheriff, defended the work of its employees on Friday. Cuomo was charged in a somewhat unusual way – the case didn’t go through the prosecution or a grand jury. Instead, a sheriff’s investigator took the evidence to Albany City Court, which filed the lawsuit.

“We have a solid case. Our investigators did an amazing job and I’m very proud of their work, ”said Apple.

For Republicans, Cuomo’s charges were a justification and a lesson in the dangers of one-party rule. The Democrats control the state legislature with so-called “super majorities” in both the Senate and Parliament.

“I think some of that would have come to light beforehand if we had done more investigations, and of course more stringent investigations from the parties came across the aisle,” said Will Barclay, the Republican leader in the Congregation, Oswego County represents.

In a statement, Northern Congressman Elise Stefanik – who was one of Cuomo’s earliest critics of both sexual harassment and nursing homes – said that “the corrupt Cuomo and his hacks should be behind bars”.

Ken Blankenbush, who represents the 117th state congregation district, said he was waiting to hear more about sexual harassment and COVID in nursing homes.

“Is that the only indictment that will come out? I hope not, ”he said.

One thing Cuomo’s Troubles probably won’t do; give Republicans a greater advantage in New York politics, where Democrats dominate.

“The Democratic Party did a good job disavowing Cuomo. He has no supporters, no one says he was wrongly accused, ”said Alexander Cohen, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Clarkson University.

“Any Republican who beats up the Democratic Party for being Cuomo’s party will not be given any additional ammunition than what they already have in their possession.

“So I don’t see it really changing the field in any way,” Cohen said.

Cuomo will have to answer the charges in mid-November, which will result in a prison term of up to one year.

The Associated Press provided additional coverage for this article.