Andrew Cuomo accuser who filed criminal complaint over groping speaks publicly for first time
- Brittany Commisso is one of 11 women the New York Governor is accused of sexually harassing
- In an interview with CBS News and the Albany Times-Union, Commisso said she filed the report to hold Cuomo responsible for his actions
A former aide who filed a criminal complaint against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last week alleging that he had groped her appeared in a television interview on Monday, speaking out publicly for the first time, saying the governor “needs to be held accountable”.
Brittany Commisso reported Cuomo to the Albany County sheriff’s office last week, days after an investigation by the state attorney general’s office found she was among 11 women whom the governor had allegedly sexually harassed.
The New York State Assembly’s Judiciary Committee has scheduled a meeting to address impeachment proceedings on Monday.
Commisso, identified only as “executive assistant #1” in the report, told state investigators that Cuomo fondled her breast on one occasion, the most serious allegation the governor faces. She also said he rubbed her backside while taking a photo.
Last week, she filed a criminal complaint with the Albany sheriff’s office. The sheriff, Craig Apple, told reporters on Saturday his agency and the county district attorney’s office would conduct a thorough investigation before determining whether a criminal charge is supported.
In an interview with CBS News and the Albany Times-Union newspaper on Monday, Commisso said she filed the report to hold Cuomo responsible for his actions.
“What he did to me was a crime,” she said in an excerpt released by CBS on Sunday. “He broke the law.”
Aide who claims Andrew Cuomo groped her at his home files criminal complaint
Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing, though he has acknowledged that his efforts to be affectionate with people he encounters may have made some people uncomfortable.
His lawyer, Rita Glavin, told reporters on Friday that Commisso’s account was fabricated, citing emails and other documentary evidence she said undermines her story.
In another excerpt released by CBS, Commisso said occasional hugs and kisses on the cheek escalated when one time Cuomo quickly turned his head and kissed her on the lips.
Yet she “didn’t say anything” at the time, Commisso said.
“People don’t understand that this is the governor of the state of New York. There are troopers that are outside of the mansion and there are some mansion staff. Those troopers that are there, they are not there to protect me. They are there to protect him,” Commisso said.
On Sunday, a senior aide to Cuomo resigned in the wake of the state attorney general’s investigative report.
Melissa DeRosa, who was linked in the report to efforts to cover up the governor’s actions and retaliate against one of his accusers, said in a statement that she was stepping down as “the past two years have been emotionally and mentally trying”.
