Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) will not face criminal charges stemming from allegations of unwanted kissing by two women, one of them a state trooper assigned to his detail, a county prosecutor said Tuesday.
Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah confirmed the decision after allegations were made Cuomo asked a state trooper if he could kiss her and grabbing a school employee and kissing her without her consent.
There was “credible” evidence to conclude that Cuomo, 63, did act as the women claimed, but Rocah concluded she could not pursue criminal charges, UPI reports.
“Our investigation found credible evidence to conclude that the alleged conduct in both instances described above did occur,” Rocah said in a statement. “However, in both instances, my office has determined that, although the allegations and witnesses were credible and the conduct concerning, we cannot pursue criminal charges due to the statutory requirements of the criminal laws of New York.”
According to the investigations, the trooper was working on Cuomo’s detail at his home in Mount Kisco when she asked the governor if he needed anything to which he asked if he could kiss her.
“She further indicated that she was concerned about the ramifications of denying the governor’s request and so she said ‘sure,'” the district attorney’s office said. “The governor then kissed her on the cheek and, as indicated in the attorney general’s report, ‘said something to the effect of, “oh, I’m not supposed to do that” or “unless that’s against the rules.”‘”
The school employee said that Cuomo “pulled her toward him and kissed her on the cheek without seeking permission for such a greeting while the two were at an event at White Plains High School.”
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks at the New York State Capitol on August 11, 2021 after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced he will be resigning after the release of a report by the NY State Attorney General Letitia James that concluded he sexually harassed nearly a dozen women. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty)
Last week, the Nassau County district attorney also announced harassment allegations against Cuomo within the county would not lead to a criminal case, despite calling the allegations “credible” and “deeply troubling.”
While Cuomo is now released from the unwanted kissing accusations from the two women, several other investigations on his alleged actions are still underway. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is in charge of one of the probes. In addition, there is a federal probe into sexual harassment allegations against the ex-governor.
Cuomo has always denied touching anyone inappropriately, maintaining he was sorry if his behavior with women was “misinterpreted as unwanted flirtation,” as Breitbart News reported.
He portrayed some of the encounters as misunderstandings attributable to “generational or cultural” differences, a reference in part to his upbringing in an affectionate Italian-American family.
Cuomo apologized to the state of New York and the women he made feel uncomfortable back in March, saying he has kissed hundreds of “women, men, [and] children… even legislators.”
Cuomo resigned from his post as governor, a position he held since 2011, on August 24.