A Long Island acting district attorney said in a statement on Thursday that allegations of inappropriate touching made by a state trooper against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) were found to be “credible” and “deeply troubling,” but “not criminal under New York law” following an investigation by her office, The Associated Press reported.
A female state trooper, whose allegations were included in a report by New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) that found that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, said that Cuomo had inappropriately touched her in September 2019.
During an event at Belmont Park, the state trooper had been holding the door open for the former governor when he allegedly placed the palm of his hand on parts of her torso and right hip, according to James’ report, the AP reported.
The state trooper said she had felt “completely violated” by the alleged incident. While Acting Nassau County District Attorney Joyce Smith, who investigated the incident, agreed in her statement that it was inappropriate and that the allegations were credible, she also signaled that Cuomo would not face criminal charges in connection with the allegations.
“With each passing day, it becomes more and more clear that the attorney general’s report was the intersection of gross prosecutorial misconduct and an abuse of government power for political purposes,” Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo said in a statement, according to the AP.
Earlier in August, Cuomo announced he would be stepping down as New York’s governor after the release of James’s report. Cuomo, who has continued to maintain his innocence, said in his announcement at the time that “wasting energy on distractions is the last thing that state government should be doing.”
“I think, given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing. And therefore, that’s what I’ll do,” he added.
The investigation by Smith’s office focused only on the state trooper’s allegations, according to the AP. Authorities elsewhere in the state are looking into other accusations of sexual misconduct against Cuomo.
The Hill has reached out to Azzopardi and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office for comment.