Cuomo accuser speaks publicly for first time, details allegations in criminal complaint

Cuomo accuser speaks publicly for first time, details allegations in criminal complaint



The former executive assistant to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) who filed a criminal complaint against him alleging he sexually harassed her is speaking publicly for the first time.

Brittany Commisso, 32, is the woman identified as "Executive Assistant #1" in New York Attorney General Letitia James' bombshell report alleging that Cuomo broke federal and state laws by sexually harassing at least 11 women and creating a hostile work environment in the Executive Chamber.

In an interview with "CBS This Morning" and the Times Union, Commisso described how her "dream job" was "turned into a nightmare" after Cuomo allegedly groped her on multiple occasions and engaged in a pattern of other inappropriate conduct towards her. Though she was not the first woman to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Cuomo, her testimony appears first in the attorney general's report, and she believes this is because her accusations are the most serious.

"I believe that my story appears first due to the nature of the inappropriate conduct that the governor did to me," Commisso said. "I believe that he groped me, he touched me, not only once, but twice."

Commisso claims that Cuomo groped her the first time on Dec. 31, 2019, at the governor's mansion. She told CBS News that she was alone with the governor that night helping Cuomo with his upcoming State of the State address. She claimed that after she finished her draft of the speech, Cuomo suggested the they take a selfie together.

"He was to my left. I was on the right. With my right hand, I took the selfie," she said. "I then felt while taking the selfie, his hand go down my back onto my butt, and he started rubbing it. Not sliding it. Not, you know, quickly brushing over it — rubbing my butt."

Commisso repeated allegations made in the attorney general's report that Cuomo made her so uncomfortable she started to shake, causing the pictures she took to come out blurry.

"I was embarrassed," she said. "Not only embarrassed for what was going on, I was embarrassed that a governor wanted a selfie and I couldn't take it. I was so nervous. I remember looking at them, and when he said, 'Can I see them?' I showed him them. And he said, 'Oh, those aren't – those aren't good.'"

Commisso said that next Cuomo suggested they take a picture together on the couch, and she agreed because she thought he wouldn't be able to grope her butt if they were sitting down.

"So we sat down on the couch and in the photo I have my arm wrapped around his shoulder, almost as if we were taking a picture with a buddy. And I got a clear photo sitting down," she said. "And that is the one that has been blurred out that has been now released to the public."

Cuomo has denied that he ever touched Commisso inappropriately when they took the selfie together.

Commisso alleges Cuomo groped her a second time at the governor's mansion in November 2020.

In the attorney general's report, Commisso testified that Cuomo would ask for a hug "almost every time" before she left the Executive Mansion and that over time the hugs felt "closer and tighter." During this particular encounter, she says Cuomo hugged her in a "sexually aggressive manner."

"It was then that I said, you know, governor, you know, you're — my words were 'you're going to get us in trouble.' And I thought to myself, that probably wasn't the best thing to say," Commisso told CBS News.

Commisso claims she was worried that someone might walk in, see what was happening, and get the wrong idea. But after she said as much to the governor, Cuomo "shut the door so hard to the point where I thought for sure, someone downstairs must think if they heard that, 'What is going on?'"

Then, she says, he reached under her blouse and cupped her breast.

"He came back to me and that's when he put his hand up my blouse and cupped my breast over my bra," she said. "I exactly remember looking down, seeing his hand, which is a large hand, thinking to myself, 'Oh, my God. This is happening.'"

"It happened so quick, he didn't say anything. When I stopped it, he just pulled away and walked away."

Commisso said the governor's behavior was as if he was "in a sexually aggressive state of mind" but was at a loss for words to explain how or why this happened.

Cuomo has adamantly denied this accusation, saying, "To touch a woman's breasts, who I hardly know, in the mansion with 10 staff around, with my family in the mansion, to say, 'I don't care who sees us.' I would have to lose my mind to do such a thing."

Commisso said Cuomo's denials were "disgusting."

"I know the truth. He knows the truth. I know what happened and so does he," she said. "I don't believe that there were 10 staff there that day. I don't believe his family was there that day. And if that's what he has to say to make himself feel better, I really, I feel sorry for him."

Until now, Commisso's identity had been unknown. She had wished to remain anonymous to protect her family. But she decided to come forward after Cuomo held a press conference in March 2021 during which he stated that he "never touched anyone inappropriately."

"He almost has this smirk that he thinks that he's untouchable," Commisso said. "I almost feel like he has this sense of almost a celebrity status and it just — that was the tipping point. I broke down. I said 'He is lying.'"

"I felt like he was personally saying it to me, that 'I never touched anyone inappropriately,'" Commisso explained. "And, yes, you did."

Commisso says that the governor would also hug her inappropriately and once kissed her on the lips without her consent. Cuomo has responded to allegations of inappropriate or nonconsensual touching by attributing his behavior to his Italian heritage, claiming that "generational" and "cultural" differences he inherited from "my mother and from my father" caused people to misinterpret his actions.

"These were not hugs that he would give his mother or his brother," Commisso emphasized. "These were hugs with the intention of getting some personal sexual satisfaction out of. Then they started to be hugs with kisses on the cheek. Then there was at one point a hug, and then when he went to go kiss me on the cheek, he quickly turned his head and he kissed me on the lips."

"Maybe to him, he thought this was normal. But to me and the other women that he did this to, well, it was not normal," she added. "It was not welcomed. And it was certainly not consensual."

Commisso said Cuomo was lying when he claimed that he only hugged her because she initiated the contact. She said she filed a criminal complaint because "it was the right thing to do. The governor needs to be held accountable."

"What he did was a crime," she said. "He broke the law."

Cuomo has denied all accusations of sexual harassment made against him and has stubbornly refused calls to resign made by virtually every Democratic official in New York and President Joe Biden.

The Albany County Sheriff's Office said Saturday that it is in the "very infant stages" of investigating the criminal complaint against Cuomo. Sheriff Craig Apple said that if any charges are brought against the governor, they will likely be misdemeanors.

The New York State Assembly Judiciary Committee is meeting Monday to discuss the next steps in its impeachment probe against Cuomo. Should Cuomo refuse to resign, it is all but certain the legislature will move to impeach and remove the governor from office.

Concluding the interview with CBS News, Commisso called on Cuomo to resign and to tell the truth:

"There was a speech that he gave less than a month ago, and in his speech, he said, 'If you give New Yorkers the truth and you give New Yorkers the facts, the good, the bad, the ugly, they will do the right thing.' I would say, Governor, this is the truth. These are the facts. And it's your turn to do the right thing. And that right thing is to resign and to tell the truth."

JANICE DEAN: 'I don't CARE what brings him down', Andrew Cuomo CANNOT be let off the hook



New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is in hot water. Top Democrats have turned their backs on the man they once loved after the New York attorney general concluded that he sexually harassed several women. But is that even the worst thing Gov. Cuomo has done?

Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean, who lost both of her in-laws to COVID-19 in a New York state nursing home, joined Glenn Beck on the radio program to talk about Gov. Cuomo's deadly mishandling of the pandemic.

"I've always said from the beginning, I don't care what brings [Gov. Cuomo] down," Janice told Glenn. "The fact that he killed thousands of people in nursing homes because of his March 25th order, obviously, I'm furious about that. But he's also really ruined the lives of other people that don't have the association of the nursing homes. So, we're all in this together."

Watch the video clip below to hear more from Janice Dean:


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Cuomo impeachment probe is 'nearing completion,' top Democrat says



The top Democrat in the New York State Assembly committee conducting the impeachment investigation against Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Thursday that the investigation is "nearing completion" and that the Assembly will soon take action to impeach the governor.

New York State Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Lavine (D) said in a statement that the law firm hired by the committee to conduct its impeachment probe has told the governor's legal team to prepare to turn over materials for Cuomo's defense.

"We write to inform you that the Committee's investigation is nearing completion and the Assembly will soon consider potential articles of impeachment against your client," the lawyers wrote to Cuomo's counsel. "Accordingly, we invite you to provide any additional evidence or written submissions that you would like the Committee to consider before its work concludes."

"To the extent that you wish to share any such materials with the Committee, please do so by no later than 5:00 pm on August 13, 2021," they advised.

Lavine announced that the Judiciary Committee will meet at the state capitol in Albany on Monday to consider its next steps.

"Counsel for the Committee have previously requested that the Governor produce relevant documents in his possession. A subpoena was subsequently issued for such material. The Committee continues to expect full compliance from the Governor," Lavine said.

These actions by the Judiciary Committee are the clearest indication yet that Democrats in the state legislature will, in fact, move to impeach the third-term governor following a bombshell report from state Attorney General Letitia James that alleges Cuomo violated federal and state law by sexually harassing at least 11 women.

Cuomo has been defiant in the face of calls to resign from nearly every prominent Democrat in New York state and President Joe Biden. He has denied all wrongdoing and accused those calling for his resignation of being political opportunists.

State lawmakers opened the impeachment probe against Cuomo in March after several of Cuomo's accusers went public with details of the alleged harassment they experienced. The probe is also considering whether the Cuomo administration covered up nursing home deaths related to COVID-19, whether he used state resources to write a book about his leadership during the pandemic, and whether the government covered up potential structural problems on the Gov. Mario M Cuomo bridge.

According to the Associated Press, at least 86 of the 150 members of the state Assembly have said they want to impeach Cuomo and remove him from office should he refuse to resign, 10 more than is necessary to pass articles of impeachment.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Wednesday that the governor "has lost the confidence of the Assembly Democratic majority and that he can no longer remain in office."

The Assembly can vote to impeach Cuomo with a simple majority vote. He would then be tried in the state Senate, where Democrats also hold a majority, and if convicted he would be removed from office and possibly barred from ever holding statewide political office in New York again. If he is removed or resigns, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will become governor.

Walls close in on Cuomo as NY prosecutors seek documents on alleged illegal conduct



New York prosecutors in Westchester County and Manhattan want to know if Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) engaged in criminal misconduct in their jurisdictions after the state attorney general released a bombshell report finding that Cuomo violated federal and state laws by sexually harassing multiple women.

On Tuesday, state Attorney General Letitia James announced the findings of an independent investigation into Cuomo's alleged misconduct. Investigators concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, including employees, touching them without their consent and making inappropriate comments to them about their personal lives, relationships, and other explicit statements.

Responding to the report, Cuomo denied the allegations of illegal conduct in a pre-recorded video, saying that he never touched anyone inappropriately and that his comments and public conduct had been misinterpreted.

NBC News reported Wednesday that Westchester District Attorney Miriam Rocah sent a letter to the attorney general inquiring about Cuomo's reported conduct and whether he broke the law within her jurisdiction.

"I believe it is appropriate for my Office to conduct a further inquiry to determine if any of the reported conduct that is alleged to have occurred in Westchester County is criminal in nature," Rocah wrote to James.

Specifically, Rocah said that she is looking for information tied to the harassment and unwanted touching of a New York State trooper who was initially assigned to the governor's detail at his Mount Kisco, N.Y. residence, which is in Westchester County.

Rocah is requesting any investigative materials from James' office including notes, reports or transcripts involving this trooper as well as any materials involving any other alleged misconduct by the governor in Westchester. Rocah is a former legal analyst for MSNBC and a former contributor NBC News' THINK opinion section.

Rocah confirmed the report in a tweet sent Wednesday morning announcing that her office "formally requested investigative materials obtained by the AG's Office."

Statement from Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah Regarding NYS Attorney General Letitia James' Final… https://t.co/qrbau6eAyb

— DA Mimi Rocah (@WestchesterDA) 1628086987.0

A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance told NBC News on Wednesday that his office is also looking into reports of Cuomo's illegal behavior and seeking materials from James' office.

"When our office learned yesterday that the Attorney General's investigation of the Governor's conduct was complete, our office contacted the Attorney General's Office to begin requesting investigative materials in their possession pertaining to incidents that occurred in Manhattan," the spokesman said.

The walls are closing in on Cuomo as prosecutors look for more information on his alleged illegal conduct and Democratic officials from the state legislature all the way to the White House are calling for his resignation.

Should he refuse to resign, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Democrats in the state Assembly have plans to add James' 165-page report on Cuomo's behavior to the evidence already collected in an ongoing impeachment probe. The Democratic majority in the legislature has reportedly reached a consensus opinion that Cuomo is no longer fit for office.

"It is abundantly clear to me that the governor has lost the confidence of the Assembly Democratic majority and that he can no longer remain in office," Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D) said.

The speaker controls legislative activity in the House and said the impeachment inquiry will conclude as quickly as possible.

New York lawmaker: Gov. Cuomo asked 'me to lie and cover everything up' but I wouldn't do it



New York Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim on Monday repeated his calls for Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to be removed from office, accusing the governor of asking him to "lie and cover everything up" regarding the COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.

During an interview on Fox News' "Fox & Friends," Kim said he felt obligated to challenge the governor after Cuomo allegedly threatened to "destroy" him for speaking out about how the Cuomo administration covered up nursing home deaths.

"It wasn't the bullying," Kim told Fox News. "The moment he crossed that line and ordered me to issue a statement that covered up what his top aide's admission of obstructing justice, that's what really motivated and pushed me to come out in public and push back."

In February, the New York Post reported that top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa apologized to Democratic lawmakers for hiding data on COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes to shield Gov. Cuomo from political fallout for his executive order placing positive COVID-19 patients in those homes. Assemblyman Kim, whose uncle died in a nursing home in April after suffering the coronavirus symptoms, became one of Cuomo's fiercest critics.

"I've fought along with [Fox News'] Janice Dean and others for 10 months to give these families the voice that they lacked and then in one second the governor wanted me to lie and cover everything up to protect him. And I wasn't going to have that," Kim said.

"In a private meeting [DeRosa] admitted that there was a cover-up and she implicated all of us, not just the members but the institutions, the Senate and the Assembly, and the moment she did that it no longer became a private conversation," he added. "The public had right to know and we have a duty to report to the public that this is what's going on with the executive and we need to check the governor and we need to do our jobs to get to the truth."

Cuomo has denied the allegation that he threatened Kim over the phone and accused the lawmaker of being a liar.

Kim pointed out that Cuomo is, in fact, the one who has been caught in a lie. The New York Times recently reported leaked audio audio of a 2018 phone conversation Cuomo had with Bill Lipton, the leader of the Working Families Party in New York. On the phone call, Cuomo castigated Lipton for the party's messaging that Cuomo is "better than a Republican," saying, "if you ever say, 'Well he's better than a Republican' again then I'm going to say, 'You're better than a child rapist' — how about that."

Text of the conversation had been previously reported in February. At the time, Cuomo's office said the report was not true.

"First they denied it, they lied" and claimed he never said that, Kim said. "And then when they get caught red-handed they punt and they deflect and come up with something else. The point is they lie, they deflect, and they cover up. And the public has had enough.

"We've had enough of his abusive behaviors, abuse of power, and he needs to be removed so we can get back to protecting the people of New York."

Lawyer for Cuomo accuser says governor is interfering with sexual harassment investigation



New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) is allegedly trying to interfere with the state attorney general's investigation into several women's claims of sexual harassment, a lawyer for one of the women said Monday.

CNBC News reports Debra Katz, an attorney representing former Cuomo staffer Charlotte Bennett, wrote a letter to Attorney General Letitia James objecting to a report that Cuomo's office had staff meet with "in-house attorneys" before they were questioned by investigators.

"It is my understanding that these attorneys are also 'debriefing' staffers after their interviews with investigators," wrote Katz.

"This is highly improper and we object in the strongest possible terms to this obvious interference with what you have stated would be a 'thorough and independent' investigation."

She charged that Cuomo's in-house lawyers "will almost certainly deter those with relevant information about" the allegations of sexual harassment made by Bennett and others from coming forward.

Katz demanded that James order Cuomo's office "to cease this highly improper practice."

She further said that having Cuomo's office's lawyers accompany staff to interviews "will have a chilling effect on potential witnesses or other accusers" who may otherwise cooperate with the probe. These staffers may "fear job-related retaliation if they tell the investigators about the Governor's sexual harassing behavior and misconduct of those around him."

According to Katz, several witnesses have already admitted to fear of retaliation should they fail to cooperate with Cuomo's lawyers.

"We believe this offer of counsel constitutes a deliberate attempt by the Governor to interfere with your office's investigation," Katz wrote.

The New York State Attorney General's Office has hired independent lawyers to investigate claims by Bennett and several other women that Cuomo sexually harassed them with inappropriate touching or comments. The most serious accusation comes from an unidentified current aide to the governor who says Cuomo, 63, reached underneath her blouse and groped her while they were alone in the governor's mansion last March.

Most recently Alyssa McGrath, a current Cuomo staffer and friend of the women who claims Cuomo groped her, came forward Sunday and accused the governor of "ogling her body, remarking on her looks, and making suggestive comments to her and another woman in his office."

Governor Cuomo has vigorously denied all the accusations made against him and has insisted that people wait for the investigators' report to be completed before drawing conclusions from the accusations.

Multiple state Democratic leaders, including a majority of the New York Democratic congressional delegation, have demanded that Cuomo resign.

The governor has steadfastly refused to resign.

State Assembly Democrats have opened an impeachment inquiry against the governor.

Gov. Cuomo slams politicians calling for his resignation, says he will not bow to 'cancel culture'



New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Friday once again refused to resign even as seven women have now accused him of sexual harassment and state Democratic lawmakers have opened an impeachment investigation against him. Cuomo called those lawmakers "reckless" and "dangerous" during a phone conference with reporters and vowed that he would not bow to "cancel culture."

The majority of House Democrats from New York stunned the political world Friday by making coordinated announcements calling for Cuomo's resignation after Democrats in the state Assembly launched an impeachment investigation the day before. On the same day, a female reporter named Jessica Bakeman became the seventh woman to come forward with accusations of sexual harassment against the governor, writing in New York magazine that Cuomo touched her inappropriately and that "he uses touching and sexual innuendo to stoke fear in us. That is the textbook definition of sexual harassment."

Cuomo is also under investigation by an independent probe appointed by the New York State attorney general's office and is still facing criticism over his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and his executive orders sending COVID-19-positive patients from hospitals to nursing homes and group homes for people with disabilities.

Addressing the sexual harassment allegations, the governor reiterated his position that New Yorkers should wait for the investigations to be completed before forming an opinion of the facts.

"There are often many motivations for making an allegation. And that is why you need to know the facts before you make a decision. There are now two reviews under way. No one wants them to happen more quickly and more thoroughly than I do. Let them do it," Cuomo said.

"I'm not going to argue this issue in the press. That is not how it is done; that is not the way it should be done. Serious allegations should be weighed seriously, right? That's why they are called serious," Cuomo lectured reporters, adding that there's a difference between "facts" and "opinions."

"Politicians who don't know a single fact but yet form a conclusion and an opinion, are in my opinion, reckless and dangerous," he charged. "The people of New York should not have confidence in a politician who takes a position without knowing any facts or substance. That, my friends, is politics at its worst."

Continuing, he said politicians take positions for "political expediency," among other reasons.

"People know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture, and the truth," Cuomo said. "Let the review proceed. I'm not going to resign. I was not elected by the politicians; I was elected by the people.

"Part of this is that I am not part of the political club, and you know what? I'm proud of it," Cuomo, the son of Mario Cuomo, a former governor of New York and ex-husband of Kerry Kennedy, the third daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, audaciously claimed.

He further denied the allegations against him, saying he has "been in the public eye my entire life" and won multiple elections under public scrutiny. He reiterated that voters should wait for the completed reports from the attorney general's independent probe, saying "an opinion without facts is irresponsible."

After fielding questions from reporters, Cuomo concluded, "Politics is part of all of this. But I just will focus on my job. In the meantime, I want to make it clear that what is being alleged just did not happen. The last allegation is not true and I've not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate, period."

New York Republicans introduce articles of impeachment against Gov. Cuomo



New York Republican lawmakers have moved to impeach Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) after he steadfastly refused to resign following multiple accusations from women of sexual harassment and an explosive report that his aides worked to cover up COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.

Recently, Cuomo has faced several calls for his resignation from state Democratic leaders and from the Albany Times Union, but said Sunday "there is no way I resign." Now Republicans have forced the issue in the state Assembly by introducing articles of impeachment against the governor Monday.

Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R) admitted that the Democratic majority will determine whether the articles of impeachment move forward, but said Monday, "We're going to keep pounding on this issue."

Nearly 30 Democratic lawmakers have called on the governor to resign his office, including Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. In a statement released Sunday, she said the growing scandals about sexual harassment, the toxic work environment surrounding the governor, and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in nursing homes have distracted from the needs of New Yorkers during the pandemic.

"We need to govern without daily distraction. For the good of the state Governor Cuomo must resign," Stewart-Cousins said.

Democratic state Assembly Majority Leader Carl Heastie (D) also issued a statement sharing the Senate majority leader's sentiment "regarding the Governor's ability to continue to lead this state."

""We have many challenges to address, and I think it is time for the Governor to seriously consider whether he can effectively meet the needs of the people of New York," he said.

Cuomo on Sunday smeared calls for his resignation as anti-Democratic.

"I was elected by the people of the state. I wasn't elected by politicians," Cuomo told reporters. "I'm not gonna resign because of allegations."

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) has launched an investigation into the accusations of sexual harassment against Cuomo.

Anna Ruch, Lindsey Boylan, and Charlotte Bennett each came forward in recent weeks to accuse Cuomo of unwanted physical touching and uncomfortable or inappropriate discussions of a sexual nature. Former Cuomo aides Ana Liss and Karen Hinton on Saturday night also came forward with their own allegations of sexual harassment against the governor.

There is also a federal inquiry into the Cuomo administration's handling of data on COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. The New York Times reported last week that top aides to the governor rewrote a report that was prepared by the New York State Department of Health in June 2020 to omit many of the nursing home deaths recorded in New York. The report, citing unnamed officials in Cuomo's administration, alleged that the data was manipulated to protect Cuomo from political fallout related to his executive order forcing nursing homes to accept patients from hospitals that tested positive for COVID-19.

Cuomo and his aides have denied all of the allegations, both about sexual harassment and manipulating COVID-19 nursing home death data. Cuomo said last week that he often hugs and kisses people in a friendly manner, and that talks with staff about their romantic relationships was meant to be banter, not propositioning.

Since Cuomo has refused to resign, Barclay challenged state Democrats to support impeachment to put their votes where their mouths are. At least six Democratic lawmakers in New York have voiced support for impeaching Cuomo. To move forward, a majority of the New York State Assembly's 150 lawmakers will need to vote for the articles of impeachment.

""If they really believe in resignation, why not start impeachment?" Barclay told reporters in Albany.

"The real problem now is the governor has lost so much credibility and trust that we don't feel like he can go forward and govern," Barclay said.