Latest Sexual Misconduct Allegation Against Cuomo Referred to Police | Eastern North Carolina Now

Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire. The author of this post is Ryan Saavedra.

    The latest sexual misconduct allegation made against New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo has reportedly been referred to the Albany Police Department, which said that the incident may have risen "to the level of a crime."

    A spokesperson for the department said that the woman, whose identity has not been released, has not filed a police report. The department does not appear to have opened a criminal investigation into the governor, though it has reached out to the alleged victim.

    The incident in question happened late last year when Cuomo allegedly summoned the woman to the Executive Mansion under the pretext of helping him with technical issues. The Times Union of Albany reported that Cuomo allegedly "reached under her blouse" and "aggressively groped" her.

    "As a matter of state policy, when allegations of physical contact are made, the agency informs the complainant that they should contact their local police department," the governor's acting counsel, Beth Garvey, said in a statement. "If they decline, the agency has an obligation to reach out themselves and inform the department of the allegation."

    "In this case, the person is represented by counsel and when counsel confirmed the client did not want to make a report, the state notified the police department and gave them the attorney's information," Ms. Garvey added.

    The news comes as 59 Democrat New York state lawmakers signed onto a letter calling on Cuomo to resign amid the misconduct allegations and the nursing home scandal that he is facing.

    "In light of the Governor's admission of inappropriate behavior and the findings of altered data on nursing home COVID-19 deaths he has lost the confidence of the public and the state legislature, rendering him ineffective in this time of most urgent need," the lawmakers wrote, later adding: "In the meantime, the Governor needs to put the people of New York first. We have a Lieutenant Governor who can step in and lead for the remainder of the term, and this is what is best for New Yorkers in this critical time. It is time for Governor Cuomo to resign."

    Daily Caller News Foundation reporter Andrew Kerr explained how Democrat lawmakers in the state could remove Cuomo from office:

• Of the 59 Democratic lawmakers who signed the letter, 40 are in the New York state assembly, which has the authority to impeach Cuomo. In the event those 40 lawmakers take the next step and call for Cuomo's impeachment, they would be just five votes shy of the 76 needed to successfully impeach the governor, as 31 Republican assembly members have already come out in support of impeachment.
• Impeachment of a New York governor is a much more serious matter than impeachment at the federal level. Cuomo would be stripped of his powers immediately upon his impeachment by the assembly and Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul would become acting governor. Cuomo would regain his authority only after the state senate voted to acquit.