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u.s. news Diamars 10 augustus 2021

'Not normal.' Ex-Cuomo aide details groping allegations

(AP) — An aide who accused ing testimony from experts on sexual With my right hand, I took the selfie. done.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo harassment and on impeachment I then felt while taking the selfie, his
of groping her said in her first procedures. Any vote to start an im- hand go down my back onto my butt, Cuomo’s lawyers have attacked the
televised interview that she was peachment trial would then trigger a and he started rubbing it. Not sliding attorney general’s investigation as bi-
initially afraid to identify herself 30-day period for Cuomo to respond. it. Not, you know, quickly brushing ased in favor of his female accusers.
because she worried the gover- over it — rubbing my butt.”
nor’s “enablers” would destroy In the meantime, the committee has Advisers close to Cuomo don’t ex-
her if she spoke up. started to receive hundreds of thou- Commisso, who began working in pect him to give up, even as his circle
sands of pages of documents and oth- the governor’s office in 2017, said this of allies willing to speak up for him in
Brittany Commisso, an executive as- er evidence gathered by the attorney made her so nervous that her hands public shrinks. But even once-loyal
sistant on Cuomo’s staff, detailed her general’s investigators. began to shake, making it difficult for Democratic allies say they don’t see
interactions with the Democrat in a her to even take the picture. him surviving.
joint interview with CBS and The Lavine said the committee wanted to
Times Union of Albany that was make sure any articles of impeach- “I was embarrassed,” she said. “Just politically, this is the Titanic.
broadcast Monday as a key legislative ment were “airtight.” It’s just not going to float again,” said
committee met to discuss possible Commisso said Cuomo groped her a state Democratic Party Chair Jay Ja-
impeachment hearings. “I anticipate the governor and his at- second time at the governor’s man- cobs.
torneys will challenge everything,” he sion in November 2020.
Commisso has spoken out before, said. Cuomo’s closest supporters now may
first in an anonymous interview with After shutting the door, “He came be members of his family, including
the Times Union last winter, and Heastie, meanwhile, sought to tamp back to me and that’s when he put his brother and CNN anchor Chris
then as one of 11 women who said down speculation that a delay could his hand up my blouse and cupped Cuomo. His brother-in-law, fashion
they were sexually harassed by Cuo- give Cuomo an opportunity to nego- my breast over my bra,” she said. “I designer Kenneth Cole, has taken to
mo whose allegations were detailed in tiate a more graceful exit from office, exactly remember looking down, see- social media in recent days to defend
a report by the state attorney general’s perhaps by offering not to run for re- ing his hand, which is a large hand, Cuomo’s “exemplary service.”
office last week. She was also the first election. thinking to myself, ‘Oh, my God.
woman to file a criminal complaint This is happening.’” “I’m praying for everyone involved,”
against Cuomo, giving a report to the “I am not negotiating any deals,” he Cuomo’s ex-wife, Kerry Kennedy,
county sheriff Thursday. said. Cuomo has repeatedly denied that said in a statement to The Associated
the episode took place. Press, declining further comment.
But until now, the public hasn’t heard Scores of Democrats, including Pres-
her tell her own story. ident Joe Biden, have urged Cuomo In an interview with the attorney gen- At least five district attorneys have
to leave office. About two-thirds of eral’s investigators, he said, “I would asked for materials from the attorney
“I was afraid that if I had to come for- state Assembly members have said have to lose my mind to do such a general’s inquiry to see if any of the
ward and revealed my name, that the they favor an impeachment trial if he thing” to a woman he hardly knew, allegations could result in criminal
governor and his enablers, I like to refuses to resign, according to an As- with multiple staff members around. charges. Albany County Sheriff Craig
call them, would viciously attack me, sociated Press count. Only a simple Apple said Saturday that Cuomo
would smear my name, as I had seen majority vote is needed to begin an The Associated Press does not gener- could face misdemeanor charges if
and heard them do before to people,” impeachment trial. ally identify alleged victims of sexual investigators substantiate Commis-
said Commisso, now 32. misconduct unless they decide to so’s complaint.
Cuomo will be going into the fight speak out publicly, as Commisso has
She said she also wanted to protect without his former top aide, Melissa
her daughter, but now feels speaking DeRosa, who resigned late Sunday,
out shows her that “she has a voice.” saying the past two years had been
“emotionally and mentally trying.”
“I never want her to be afraid to
speak,” Commisso said. “I never The report made public by state At-
want her to be afraid of any person in torney General Letitia James said
power, a man or a woman.” DeRosa played a lead role in trying
to protect Cuomo from harassment
The interview aired as Cuomo faces claims.
another day under fire.
Among other things, it said she was
The Assembly’s judiciary commit- involved in giving reporters person-
tee met in executive session, behind nel memos about Lindsey Boylan, the
closed doors, Monday to discuss first woman to accuse him publicly of
how to wrap up an ongoing probe of harassment. The records described
Cuomo’s conduct with women, and Boylan’s exit from the administration
of other matters, including the use of amid allegations that she’d mistreated
staff to help with his $5 million book her own staff.
deal and his administration’s decision
to withhold full statistics on COV- In her interview on CBS, Commisso
ID-19 deaths in nursing homes from said the attention that Cuomo gave
the public. her was not a normal friendliness, as
the governor has characterized it.
After emerging, committee Chair
Charles Lavine and Assembly Speak- “Maybe to him, he thought this was
er Carl Heastie promised to wrap up normal. But to me and the other
their inquiry and potentially have women that he did this to, it was not
a vote on articles of impeachment normal. It was not welcomed and it
“within weeks,” but they also laid out was certainly not consensual,” she
a timetable that is likely to disappoint said.
people who want Cuomo out of of-
fice now. She said he groped her for the first
time on Dec. 31, 2019, when the gov-
The judiciary committee will contin- ernor suggested the two take a selfie
ue to meet in private through at least together.
Aug. 23 to discuss the evidence. They
plan to have public hearings featur- “He was to my left. I was on the right.