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obitiuario/u.s. news Diamars 23 November 2021

Probe finds ‘overwhelming evidence’ of misconduct by Cuomo

(AP) — A legislative inves- resources would be used on much on information gath-
tigation released Monday the book, but the Assem- ered during a “politically bi-
found “overwhelming evi- bly’s investigators at the law ased” investigation overseen
dence” that former Gov. firm Davis Polk & Wardwell by the attorney general, Le-
Andrew Cuomo sexually said they found evidence the titia James, who is now run-
harassed women and that governor had his staff spend ning for governor.
he ordered state workers copious amounts of time on
to help produce his book the project. Cuomo, a Democrat, re-
on pandemic leadership signed in August to avoid a
during work hours. Junior and senior staff mem- likely impeachment trial.
bers told investigators they
The report also found that were asked to perform book Cuomo has denied sexually
Cuomo’s staff “substantially tasks during their work day, harassing anyone or touching
revised” a state health depart- including transcribing dicta- any women inappropriately.
ment report on COVID-19 tions, printing and deliver- For weeks, he has attacked
deaths in nursing homes to ing documents, and attend- the Assembly’s investigation
exclude statistics that might ing meetings with agents and as biased and set on smearing ID-19 deaths among nursing pitals.
have dimmed his reputation publishers. him. home residents in a July 2020
as a pandemic leader. state report. The state contended infected
One senior state official sent The former governor faces staff and visitors were the key
The findings, authored by a and received 1,000 emails a separate criminal charge The report instead used a driver of COVID-19 out-
law firm hired by the Assem- about the book, the report alleging that he groped the lower figure of 6,500 deaths breaks at nursing homes. The
bly’s Judiciary Committee, said. The report didn’t name breast of a former assistant, that excluded fatalities among Assembly’s investigators said
were widely expected, and the official, but included de- Brittany Commisso, after patients who fell ill at nursing they found no evidence con-
the sections on sexual harass- tails identifying her as his summoning her to the ex- homes but died after being tradicting that finding.
ment largely echo allegations former top aide, Melissa ecutive mansion on Dec. 7, transferred to hospitals and
previously made in a report DeRosa. 2020. elsewhere. Cuomo often released state-
last summer by the state’s at- ments pledging cooperation
torney general. Responding to the report The Assembly report said it Some witnesses said using with the Assembly investiga-
Monday, Cuomo’s spokes- had reviewed travel, phone the higher number would tion, but investigators said he
But it offered some new person, Richard Azzopardi, and text messages that back have distracted from the produced only limited docu-
details, particularly around said senior staff who helped up Commisso’s account of overall message of the health ments over the course of al-
the $5.2 million private with the book did so on their her whereabouts on the day department report, which most six months.
deal Cuomo struck to write personal time. He denied she says the attack happened. was intended to defend Cuo-
a book, “American Crisis: that junior staff was involved, mo against charges that the “At no time has the former
Leadership Lessons on the as the report claims. The investigators also ex- state had worsened the death governor meaningfully com-
Pandemic.” amined allegations that toll by telling nursing homes plied with the committee’s
On the sexual harassment Cuomo’s office had the state they couldn’t refuse to admit requests or cooperated with
Cuomo had promised state allegations, Azzopardi said Department of Health delete recovering COVID-19 pa- its investigation,” the report
ethics officials that no state the Assembly had relied too a reference to 10,000 COV- tients discharged from hos- reads.

Florida clears Groveland Four of 1949 rape

of white woman

(AP) — A judge on Monday officially
exonerated four young African Ameri-
can men of the false accusation that they
raped a white woman seven decades ago,
“Señor ta mi wardador, mi’n tin falta di nada. Den cunucu di yerba making partial and belated amends for
berde e ta ponemi sosega. e ta hibami na awa trankil, Pa mi bolbe one of the greatest miscarriages of jus-
haña forsa.’’ Salmo:23 tice of Florida’s Jim Crow era.
Cu inmenso tristeza na nos curazon, nos ta participa fayecimeto di: At the request of the local prosecutor, Ad-
ministrative Judge Heidi Davis dismissed the
indictments of Ernest Thomas and Samuel
Shepherd, who were fatally shot by law en-
forcement, and set aside the convictions and
sentences of Charles Greenlee and Walter Ir-
vin. The men known as the Groveland Four,
who ranged from 16 to 26 at the time, were
accused of raping a woman in the central
Florida town of Groveland in 1949. nity. A lot of families didn’t get this opportu-
“We followed the evidence to see where it nity. Maybe they will,” said Aaron Newson,
led us and it led us to this moment,” said Bill Thomas’ nephew. He broke into tears as he
Gladson, the local state attorney, following the spoke. “This country needs to come togeth-
hearing in the same Lake County courthouse er.”
where the original trials were held. Gladson, Thomas was killed by a posse that shot him
a Republican, moved last month to have the more than 400 times shortly after the rape
men officially exonerated. accusation. The local sheriff, Willis McCall,
Sr. Paulito Kelly The men’s families said maybe this case will fatally shot Shepherd and wounded Irvin in
Mihor conoci como “Poly” spark a reexamination of other convictions of 1951 as he drove them to a second trial af-
*13-08-1931 † 20-11-2021 Black men and women from the Jim Crow ter the U.S. Supreme Court overturned their
era so those falsely convicted can have their original convictions, saying no evidence had
Kier a invita tur amigo y conocir pa asisti na e acto di entiero cu lo names cleared. been presented. The sheriff claimed the men
tuma lugar na Royal Funeral Home diabierna 26 November 2021 di “We are blessed. I hope that this is a start be- tried to escape, but Irvin said McCall and his
9:00 pa 11:00 or di mainta. Despues lo sali pa Santana di Paradera. cause lot of people didn’t get this opportu- deputy shot them in cold blood.