Up to this point, Andrew Cuomo has defended himself against the allegations laid out in the New York Attorney General’s report, but today his attorneys went before reporters to fight for the embattled New York governor. Three attorneys appeared on behalf of Cuomo, including Rita Glavin who took aim at AG Letitia James claiming, “There has been no open-minded fact-finding here.” According to the ABC affiliate in New York City, “Cuomo’s attorneys accused James of omitting important contrary facts in the report released Tuesday that accused the governor of sexually harassing 11 women.”
Glavin took specific aim at the report’s finding that Executive Assistant #1 endured a “pattern of inappropriate behavior” that included kissing, hugging and an instance when Cuomo “reached under her blouse and grabbed her breast.”
“Why did this report ignore documentary evidence, and why did they not want to tell you?” Glavin said. “The documentary evidence does not support what she said.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's attorney Paul J. Fishman complains about the timing and release of the sexual harassment report.
"That was problematic, because their opportunity to challenge, to rebut, to raise questions, did not occur until after the report was public." pic.twitter.com/OQMjiZ5Bil
— The Recount (@therecount) August 6, 2021
This comes as the first official criminal complaint is filed against Cuomo. It’s from an executive assistant who filed a report with the Albany County sheriff’s department. According to the Wall Street Journal:
She has said Mr. Cuomo, a 63-year-old Democrat, reached under her shirt and groped her breast over her bra after she was summoned to the mansion on Nov. 16 for a work assignment.
Brian Premo, an attorney for the woman, said her complaint involved the incident and other allegations of inappropriate touching by Mr. Cuomo that were outlined in a Tuesday report by Attorney General Letitia James. The woman is identified in the report as Executive Assistant #1, Mr. Premo said.
Here's everything we know about the allegations leveled against Gov. Andrew Cuomo by a former staffer — known only as "executive assistant #1" — who became the first to file a criminal complaint stemming from the attorney general's bombshell report. https://t.co/4THznBLR7q
— NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) August 6, 2021
Watch more about the criminal complaint above from CBS New York.