Cuomo’s legal team attacks report; AG Office responds

After New York Attorney General’s independent investigation found Andrew Cuomo guilty of sexually harassing 11 women and provided massive evidence that revealed the toxic workplace environment. Estranged Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s legal team has led an onslaught against the report. In over an hour long briefing on Friday, the team led a scathing attack on the report and the way it was released.

Paul Fishman, representing the Governor’s office claimed the AG’s office did not provide a copy of the report to the Governor’s office before it was publicly released. Rita Glavin, Cuomo’s attorney accused the report of being made in a manner that had a “premeditated narrative.”

The legal team has also dismissed the criminal complaint filed by a victim.

In response to this the Attorney General’s office has said the Governor’s legal team has “attacked the credibility of the 11 women who came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against the governor, as well as the independence and credibility of the independent investigators,” Fabien Levy, press secretary and senior advisor to New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.

The statement further added that “after multiple women made accusations that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed them, the governor, himself, requested that Attorney General James oversee an independent investigation. The independent investigators selected are widely respected professionals, recognized for their legal and investigatory ability. To attack this investigation and attempt to undermine and politicize this process takes away from the bravery displayed by these women.”

“There will be a rolling production of interview transcripts made available to the state Assembly, which will be redacted as needed,” it went on. “There are 11 women whose accounts have been corroborated by a mountain of evidence. Any suggestion that attempts to undermine the credibility of these women or this investigation is unfortunate,” the statement further defending the independent investigation and pointing towards the mass of evidence it brought forward against the estranged Governor.

Charlotte Bennett’s attorney Debra Katz has urged the state Assembly to act and has also said Cuomo has made it clear that he wants to stay in power. Andrew Cuomo’s hypocrisy isn’t new and with the Assembly’s impeachment investigation into the broad set of allegations over his misconduct reaching a conclusion, chances for Cuomo’s survival are bleak unless he has a trick up his sleeve and gains the Democratic Party’s trust while they lose the public’s trust in the process.