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This week, new accusations of sexual harassment against the governor were made, with one report alleging that he reached under a staff member’s shirt and fondled her, a claim that Cuomo has denied.
Officials said that a formal probe has not been launched, though investigators have reportedly “reached out to the victim’s attorney” and are offering up police assistance.
No criminal complaint has been made and there is no active criminal investigation as of Thursday, March 11.
“As a matter of state policy when allegations of physical contact are made, the agency informs the complainant that they should contact their local police department,” Cuomo’s acting counsel, Beth Garvey said in a statement acknowledging that the issue had been referred to police in Albany.
“If they decline, the agency has an obligation to reach out themselves and inform the department of the allegation,” she continued. "In this case, the person is represented by counsel and when counsel confirmed the client did not want to make a report, the state notified the police department and gave them the attorney’s information.”
New York State Police investigators also reportedly reached out to the Albany Police Department regarding the alleged incident.
During a Wednesday, March 3 news briefing in which Cuomo said he never touched anyone inappropriately, the staffer reportedly became upset and a female supervisor came to her aid, and the staffer later told her about the alleged incident.
“As I said yesterday, I have never done anything like this," Cuomo said in a statement. “The details of this report are gut-wrenching,” he said in a statement.
“I am not going to speak to the specifics of this or any other allegation given the ongoing review, but I am confident in the result of the Attorney General's report.”
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