Ex-New York governor charged with sex crime

NEW YORK: Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been charged with a sex crime in the Albany City Court, New York State courts spokesperson Lucian Chalfen said.

"A Misdemeanor Complaint against former Governor Andrew Cuomo has been filed in Albany City Court," Sputnik quoted Chalfen as saying in a statement on Thursday. "As this is a sex crime, a redacted complaint will be available shortly."

New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement that the criminal charges brought against Cuomo further validate her office's own investigation into the matter.

"From the moment my office received the referral to investigate allegations that former Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, we proceeded without fear or favour," James said. "The criminal charges brought today against Mr. Cuomo for forcible touching further validate the findings in our report."

According to a copy of the misdemeanor complaint, Cuomo is accused of forcibly placing his hand under the blouse shirt of the victim on December 7, 2020.

The name of the victim is redacted in the complaint, but she is reportedly the former executive assistant to the governor, Brittany Commisso.

Cuomo resigned after an investigation by James found him to have harassed nearly a dozen colleagues, but he continues to deny any wrongdoing.

-- BERNAMA