NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — After attacking the credibility of Attorney General Letitia James, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is now slamming the Albany sheriff’s office that has announced a criminal sexual assault charge against him.
Cuomo through his spokesman on Saturday claimed Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple was part of a “rogue investigation” into the sexual assault and harassment allegations that ultimately led to his resignation in August.
His spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, claimed Apple's department has "zero corroborating evidence that a crime occured."
"In an attempt to deflect from his bizarre and unprofessional rouge investigation that resulted in a criminal charge ‘erroneously’ being filed against former Governor Cuomo, Albany Sheriff Craig Apple claimed there was an ‘overwhelming amount of evidence’ gathered in this case," Azzopardi said.
"However, every item listed by his investigator only verifies uncontested facts that this employee was in and out of the Governor’s mansion as part of her job — there is zero corroborating evidence that a crime occured," he added.
Cuomo was charged Thursday for allegedly groping an aide on the second floor of the Executive Mansion in December 2021. He has denied the allegations against him.
Though the criminal complaint did not name the victim, former Cuomo aide Brittany Commisso made a similar claim against him and filed her complaint with the Sheriff's Office in August.
Apple on Friday defended his case against Cuomo as “comprehensive” and “solid.”
“The case is a very solid case. We have great information that was obtained. We met our burn as far as probable cause and we have filed,” Apple said.
Cuomo's attack came as his attorney, Rita Glavin, called for Apple’s department to preserve communications with outside parties, suggesting that Apple’s department was leaking information on the case to reporters.
“What occurred here was a clear abuse of power by Sheriff Apple and we plan to get to the bottom of it,” Azzopardi went on.
Cuomo and Glavin have famed the allegations against the former governor as a politically motivated witch hunt, noting that James has aspirations for the governorship.
Among other requests, Glavin in her notice asked for Apple to preserve communications with the media as well as Commisso’s husband, Frank Commisso — a former Albany Common Council member — dating back years.
Related
Related
