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An upstate New York prosecutor announced Monday that he is ending an investigation into an allegation of unwanted physical contact by former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Oswego County District Attorney Gregory Oakes is the fourth county prosecutor to investigate, but decline to charge, Cuomo based on allegations outlined in a searing August 2021 report by investigators working for New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“The Oswego County District Attorney’s Office has concluded that there is insufficient legal basis to bring criminal charges against former Governor Andrew Cuomo based on allegations of unwanted physical contact made by Virginia Limmiatis. “, Oakes said in a statement Monday.
Oakes’ office was investigating allegations made by Limmiatis, who told James’ office that in May 2017, she was standing in a rope to greet the then-governor when he ran two fingers across her chest, pressing the letters printed on his shirt. Limmiatis said, according to the report, that he then brought his face closer to hers and said, “I’m going to say I see a spider on your shoulder,” before running his hand between her shoulder and her breasts. “
Oakes said in her statement that the ruling should “in no way … be construed as casting doubt on the character or credibility of Ms. Limmiatis, or the harmfulness of the acts to which she has been subjected.”
He called on state lawmakers to reform sexual harassment laws “to reflect the lived experiences of victims.”
In a statement released by Limmiatis’ attorney, Limmiatis reiterated her allegations against Cuomo and said she was grateful to Oakes for investigating.
“I’m glad he was forced to step down and held accountable, and I’m proud to stand with all the women who have had the courage to report his misconduct. So many women are suffering in silence and unsupported. when they show up,” Limmiatis mentioned.
Cuomo has repeatedly denied all allegations of harassment. A spokesperson for Cuomo slammed James’ investigation on Monday, calling it a “political stunt.” Cuomo’s attorney, Rita Glavin, said of the Oswego district attorney’s decision, “Truth and the rule of law prevailed, not politics or mob mentality.”
Cuomo’s team also sent photos Monday to the media that they say prove he did not touch Limmiatis inappropriately.
Cuomo resigned in August after New York Attorney General Letitia James’ report detailed charges of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by 11 women, including former staffers and a state trooper. The report sparked investigations by several local district attorneys, none of whom have since filed charges.
On Dec. 23, Nassau County Acting District Attorney Joyce Smith announced that an accusation by a state trooper assigned to Cuomo’s security detail was “credible, deeply troubling, but not criminal in nature.” under New York law”. The trooper said Cuomo touched her inappropriately at a 2019 event at Belmont Park Racetrack, allegedly ran the palm of his hand over her stomach, according to the attorney general’s report.
On December 28, Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah also found the soldier’s and another woman’s allegations “credible” but declined to press charges. The trooper accused Cuomo of an inappropriate kiss on the cheek at his Mt. Kisco home. The other woman accused him of an inappropriate kiss on the cheek at a nearby White Plains high school.
On Jan. 4, Albany County District Attorney David Soares also called an accuser’s allegations “credible,” but said he would not press charges. Soares’ office was investigating after the county sheriff filed a criminal complaint in October 2021. The victim was not identified by name in the complaint, but the case appears to stem from allegations made by the former assistant Brittany Commisso, who said last summer that the governor groped her in December 2019 and November 2020.
A separate investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Elder Abuse Unit into Cuomo’s handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes also ended in January without charges.
New trends
Graham Kates
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