Cuomo lawyers blast AG report, saying evidence was left out: 'Doesn't pass muster'
In a malfunction echoing the troubles Cuomo is facing, his attorney's live feed went dead for several minutes
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Attorneys representing embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo blasted the state attorney general's office for what they said was an unfair investigation into sexual harassment allegations against the governor.
"There has been no open-minded fact finding here," Rita Glavin, one of the attorneys representing Cuomo, said on a Friday afternoon Zoom call with the media. "This investigation was conducted in a manner to support a predetermined narrative."
MEDIA PREVIOUSLY DOWNPLAYED SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST ANDREW CUOMO
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Then, in a sudden malfunction echoing the troubles Cuomo is facing, Glavin’s connection to the call appeared to be disrupted, prompting her to ask, "Am I frozen?" before the feed cut away for several minutes.
Once order was restored and Glavin explained that her "ethernet went down" she reiterated that she believes "the investigators acted as prosecutors, judge, and jury."
Glavin said her team was not notified about when the report would be released nor given a chance to address its findings before the release.
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DEBLASIO CALLS ON 'NARCISSIST' CUOMO TO 'GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY' AND RESIGN
Glavin then addressed the accuser known as "Executive Assistant 1" and attempted to poke holes in her story, explaining that Cuomo has denied the alleged incident took place.
The attorney then put up a timeline on the screen of the day the accuser said Cuomo sexually assaulted her that she says contradicts the allegation made against the governor.
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Glavin added that statements "undermining" Lindsey Boylan, Cuomo’s first accuser, were ignored by the attorney general’s office and attempted to make the case that there were holes in Boylan’s story.
Cuomo’s attorneys then took questions from the media and said that the governor will address a recent allegation of sexual misconduct against a female trooper assigned to his security detail.
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Glavin concluded, "He is 63 years old, he has spent 40 years in public life. And for him to suddenly be accused of sexual assault of an executive assistant that he really doesn't know, doesn't pass muster."
During the call, two of Cuomo's accusers released a statement defending the integrity of the attorney general's investigation.
"The Governor’s effort to ‘respond’ to the AG’s thorough and careful report presenting extensive evidence of his unlawful conduct once again misses the mark," they said.
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"On behalf of Alyssa McGrath and Virginia Limmiatis, we state again that the AG investigators treated them fairly while closely examining the evidence and the facts, including by asking follow-up questions and speaking to witnesses," attorney Mariann Wang wrote. "The AG report is thorough, detailed and provides the evidence itself that the Governor violated state and federal law."
Boylan tweeted simply: "We will not be intimidated."
The New York Attorney General's Office released a statement in response to the comments made by Cuomo's lawyers accusing the governor of attacking the credibility of his accusers.
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"After multiple women made accusations that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed them, the governor, himself, requested that Attorney General James oversee an independent investigation," the statement said. "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."
The statement continued. "There will be a rolling production of interview transcripts made available to the state Assembly, which will be redacted as needed. 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."
Earlier this week, New York Attorney General Letitia James released a 165-page report accusing the governor of sexual harassment related to the 11 women who have accused him of wrongdoing.
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"This is a sad day for New York because independent investigators have concluded that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and, in doing so, broke the law," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.
The report sparked calls for Cuomo to resign, including from President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Additionally, New York lawmakers are preparing to start the impeachment process against the governor.
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Cuomo has maintained that he is innocent of wrongdoing.
"First, I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances," Cuomo said in a video released after the report was made public. "I am 63 years old. I’ve lived my entire adult life in public view. That is just not who I am and that’s not who I have ever been."