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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — More than an 11-hour job interview with investigators previous July, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo defiantly denied allegations he sexually harassed women of all ages and sparred with the lawyers questioning him, accusing just one of getting out to get him, according to a transcript unveiled on Wednesday.
New York Attorney Basic Letitia James manufactured general public hundreds of pages of transcripts of interviews executed by two unbiased attorneys, employed by her business, throughout their monthslong probe of sexual harassment allegations in opposition to Cuomo.
In their interviews with investigators, conducted around quite a few months, the females accusing Cuomo of misconduct laid out their horror stories of doing work for a manager who designed feedback about women’s appears to be like, questioned inquiries about sexual intercourse and gave inappropriate touches and kisses.
The transcripts protected interviews carried out with 10 of the gals who accused Cuomo of misconduct, additionally the interview that Cuomo himself gave on July 17.
Most of the allegations, and Cuomo’s defenses, have been aired publicly just before in interviews, information conferences and a report revealed by James’ workplace in August that sparked general public outrage and pushed Cuomo to resign from workplace. But the transcripts supply a new level of depth on the allegations versus the Democrat and Cuomo’s confrontational job interview.
All through the interrogation, Cuomo insisted he was careful in how he behaved all-around women of all ages and said several of his accusers had misrepresented what occurred. He also bristled at a groping allegation by an aide, Brittany Commisso, who stated Cuomo experienced pulled her toward him and grabbed her breast in the governor’s mansion.
Cuomo, 63, explained it would be “not even feasible” for him to have finished that, primarily because he considered his carry out was frequently underneath scrutiny by enemies, which include a single of the lawyers then investigating him, previous acting U.S. Legal professional Joon Kim.
“You’ve investigated me for 6 yrs,” Cuomo told Kim, referring to corruption investigations carried out by federal prosecutors for the duration of Kim’s tenure, like one particular that sent one of Cuomo’s near pals to jail. “I would have to get rid of my thoughts to do some — these a matter. It would be an act of madness to contact a woman’s breast and make myself vulnerable to a woman for this kind of an accusation.”
“Numerous people have experimented with to established me up,” Cuomo reported. “I’m constantly cautious of individuals. I have phenomenal safeguards. It would be an act of insanity.”
The Albany County sheriff’s workplace submitted a criminal criticism in opposition to Cuomo in excess of Commisso’s groping allegation late very last month.
In her job interview with investigators, Commisso explained Cuomo produced reviews about her look, termed her “honey” and asked her about her intercourse daily life. She reported when she wore a dress relatively than trousers to do the job, the governor claimed it was “about time that you confirmed some leg.”
She also explained the alleged assault at the governor’s mansion, declaring that even as she pushed Cuomo absent, she nervous she would be the a person who received in issues if she slapped him or built a scene.
“I would be taken absent by the condition law enforcement officers and I would be the 1 that would get in hassle and I would be the one to eliminate my career, not him,” she claimed.
In her interview with investigators, Lindsey Boylan, a former economic growth formal who was the 1st lady to publicly accuse Cuomo of harassment, identified as his famously caustic administration “a terrible surroundings for anyone, whether or not they have been sexually harassed or not.” But she told the investigators harassment was what spurred her to come ahead. “If this was just a harmful do the job atmosphere, we wouldn’t be sitting below.”
Boylan reported Cuomo on a regular basis commented on her visual appeal, “constantly” appeared at her legs and at the time kissed her on the lips with out her consent.
When the governor’s puppy climbed on her, Cuomo explained, “Well, if I was the puppy, I’d mount you, far too.”
Questioned by investigators no matter if any sexual harassment education was carried out whilst she was doing the job in the Government Chamber, Boylan explained no, introducing: “The total constructing is sexual harassment.”
She and other females described Cuomo as, at turns intensely demanding, furious or egregiously inappropriate.
Cuomo asked Boylan to sing him “Happy Birthday” around the cellphone and former aide Charlotte Bennett to sing “Danny Boy” as a hazing ritual. The governor pounded his fist into a doorway in annoyance as soon as and on another occasion advised a prime aide he was lucky he didn’t toss him out the window, in accordance to testimony.
Bennett, who has alleged Cuomo quizzed her about her sex existence in a way that designed her feel he was hitting on her, claimed staffers termed to satisfy with Cuomo arrived in with dread and distress and would often be in tears afterward.
Cuomo announced his resignation on Aug. 10, a 7 days just after James unveiled a report concluding that Cuomo experienced sexually harassed at the very least 11 women of all ages.
Cuomo legal professional Rita Glavin criticized the attorney typical for the partial release whilst the felony demand is pending.
“The Attorney Common deliberately harms a pending case by broadcasting to just about every witness what other witnesses have testified to, and spreading fake and salacious rumour and rumors,” Glavin stated in a assertion.
The condition Assembly had been considering impeaching Cuomo when he resigned. A lawful team hired by the Assembly’s judiciary committee has continued to work on a report on Cuomo’s conduct in place of work. The committee’s chair mentioned Wednesday that committee customers had been invited to evaluate the report in Albany on Nov. 18 and 19 in advance of its prepared public launch.
In his job interview with investigators, Cuomo portrayed a lot of of the girls accusing him as obtaining misrepresented their interactions. Questioned continuously about allegations of harassment, he began responses with the phrase “no,” more than 350 moments and uttering the words “never happened” eight moments.
All through one particular prolonged exchange, he refused to give a easy answer to a dilemma about no matter whether a girl stated in one particular little bit of testimony was his girlfriend.
“How do you want to define ‘girlfriend?’” Cuomo requested.
“Did you date her?” Kim questioned.
“How do you want to define ‘date?’” Cuomo countered.
Cuomo advised Kim was a puppet accomplishing the bidding of his predecessor in the U.S. attorney’s office environment, Preet Bharara, and “his rabbi,” Senate Bulk Chief Chuck Schumer.
“You know that I reported that Preet and you have been unethical and need to not be regarded for legal professional normal,” Cuomo instructed Kim. “Preet Bharara has political aspirations, may possibly have political aspirations against me. His rabbi, your rabbi, Senator Schumer called for my resignation.”
Kim advised Cuomo he was not “engaging” with him on individuals forms of statements, but claimed “I wouldn’t want the silence to go as some type of acceptance of it.”
Cuomo shut the deposition with a further jab at Kim: “I would like to say it was a enjoyment, Mr. Kim. But I’m below oath.”
Peltz and Sisak described from New York. Contributing were Thalia Beaty, David B. Caruso and Michelle L. Price in New York, Marina Villeneuve in Albany and Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo.
