Cuomo accuser who filed criminal report to give televised interview

[August 09, 2021]  (Reuters) - A former aide who filed a criminal complaint against New York Governor Cuomo last week alleging that he groped her will appear in a televised interview on Monday to speak out publicly for the first time about her accusations.

Brittany Commisso reported Cuomo to the Albany County sheriff's office last week, days after an investigation by the state attorney general's office found she was among 11 women whom the governor had sexually harassed.

Commisso, who was identified only as "executive assistant #1" in the report, told CBS News and the Albany Times-Union that Cuomo "needs to be held accountable," according to excerpts released by CBS on Sunday ahead of the interview's air date.

"What he did to me was a crime," she said. "He broke the law."

Commisso told investigators that Cuomo fondled her breast in the Executive Mansion in Albany last November. The Democratic governor has denied wrongdoing, even as calls for him to resign have grown, including from prominent fellow Democrats such as President Joe Biden.

Cuomo also faces possible impeachment by the state legislature, which has been conducting its own inquiry into his actions.

The New York State Assembly's Judicary Committee has scheduled a meeting to address impeachment proceedings on Monday at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 GMT).

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference, in New York, U.S., May 10, 2021. Mary Altaffer/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

A lawyer for the governor, Ruth Glavin, told reporters on Friday that Commisso's account was false, citing emails and other records that she said showed Commisso was not alone with Cuomo on the day in question and never showed any indication that something was amiss.

Craig Apple, the Albany County sheriff, said on Saturday that the allegations, if substantiated, could lead to criminal charges. He said his office and that of the Albany district attorney would oversee a thorough investigation.

In the interview, Commisso also described how Cuomo's advances grew bolder over time and explained that she was afraid to come forward due to his power, according to excerpts.

"I didn't say anything this whole time," she said. "People don't understand that this is the governor of the state of New York."

(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

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