It has been two months since former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned amid numerous sexual harassment allegations, but Cuomo’s legal troubles are still far from over.
When Cuomo’s attorney, Rita Glavin, was asked if the former governor has been interviewed by any of the entities investigating him, she declined to answer directly.
“We don't want to talk about that at this time and there’s a host of reasons why,” Glavin said. “I’m a criminal defense lawyer and I don't want to share whatever contact we may or may not have had with local district attorneys’ offices. I will say this, I am very confident that the governor committed no crime.”
Numerous district attorneys from around the state are currently looking into the sexual harassment accusations that allegedly occurred within their jurisdictions and were outlined in the attorney general’s report released in August.
There is a criminal investigation being led by the Albany Sheriff’s Office, into the alleged groping incident that occurred at the Executive Mansion.
And the Attorney General’s Office is still investigating whether Cuomo used state resources to write his pandemic book.
But Glavin on Wednesday, while announcing their team was submitting a 150-page report to the Attorney General’s Office, also urged the team to drop the investigation into Cuomo’s $5.1 million book deal, saying it was political.
The Attorney General’s Office responded in a statement saying, "Another day, another baseless attack by the former governor who resigned so he didn’t have to participate in an impeachment hearing. The most concerning part of today’s charade was the former governor’s attempt to stifle a legal criminal investigation into allegations that he used state resources for a book deal and personal profit. This is not the Moreland Commission, and we will not be bullied into shutting down this investigation like the former governor did with that commission."
Glavin is also calling for an “independent review” of the independent investigation led by the Attorney General’s Office into the sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo.
Glavin claims that the referral Cuomo gave to Attorney General Letitia James to open the investigation banned her from participating.
However, nowhere in the referral does it say that James could not participate and Glavin had to later backtrack on that statement.
Dennis C. Vacco, a former New York state attorney general who works now Lippes Mathias LLP, pointed out how the referral was made to James directly and it was Cuomo’s choice to hand the investigation over to her.
“To characterize any of this as normal really is an understatement,” Vacco said. “I think that the criticism of the attorney general is extraordinarily misplaced. He appointed the attorney general, she brought in outside independent counsel. There's nothing in that executive order that would suggest that she could not be involved.”
Vacco also questioned the motive of Cuomo continuing to rehash the same arguments, even though he is out of office.
“He could faced the consequences of staying in office, but he chose to resign,” Vacco said. “And now to suggest that somehow the referral to the attorney general should be unwound because she is now contemplating a run for governor is ridiculous.”
Glavin was also asked if Cuomo plans to run again next year for governor, but Glavin said that this was a question for Cuomo.