Videos of former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo sex harassment investigation released
NEW YORK - On July 17, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo sat down with investigators to testify about the sexual harassment allegations leveled against him by at least 11 women.
The video of that 11-hour testimony was released on Monday, offering a glimpse into the investigation that resulted in Cuomo resigning a week after the finalized report was released.
"This is a biased political investigation as we know," Cuomo said defiantly during his deposition. "That‘s what it is."
Cuomo’s video testimony was not the only one released on Monday by the New York State Attorney General’s office.
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The investigation was launched back in March after the first few women stepped forward to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment. Cuomo ultimately referred the case to Attorney General Letitia James who hired outside, independent lawyers to lead the investigation.
A report from the 5 month-long investigation was released in August and led to Cuomo submitting his resignation after calls for him to step down stretched all the way to the White House.
Cuomo is facing at least one criminal charge right now for allegedly forcibly touching his former assistant at the executive mansion in Albany. Cuomo is due in Albany County Court on January 7, 2022.
The Attorney General’s office had already released one set of transcripts earlier this month, but the new batch released on Monday detail how many people both inside and outside the Executive Chamber shaped the narrative around Cuomo’s defense.
Transcripts highlight Chris Cuomo's role advising brother Andrew Cuomo during scandal
This includes CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo who pushed to be involved in conversations with top executive aides and played an active role in shaping Andrew Cuomo’s statements to the press.
Text messages released as part of the investigation showed Chris Cuomo tracking down one of Andrew Cuomo’s accusers to see if she was lying and keeping tabs on reporters digging into the sexual harassment allegations.
The investigation also found that Chris Cuomo forwarded documents about a time when Charlotte Bennett was in college, to a Cuomo advisor. Bennett was the second woman and former aide to Cuomo to accuse him of sexual harassment.
CNN said in a statement that the documents released Monday "deserve a thorough review and consideration. We will be having conversations and seeking additional clarity about their significance as they relate to CNN over the next several days."
Additional testimony, including transcripts from Cuomo’s advisor Rich Azzopardi, former Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa, and Lis Smith, Communications Director for Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg were released.
Attorney General Letitia James, who is running for governor, released these additional transcripts the same day that Congressman Tom Suozzi announced he is also running for governor.
Azzopardi released a statement saying in part "To the surprise of no one, Tish James continues abusing her government power to leverage her political future — prosecutorial misconduct, ethics and integrity be damned. James violated the law in appointing biased reviewers and then she admitted personally interfering in the investigation.
"Today’s manipulated release of hand-picked witness testimony with selective redactions is typical. She even edited the Governor’s video testimony! It is also no coincidence that she decided to release select transcripts minutes before one of her rivals declared for governor.
"New Yorkers are no one’s fool and James and her colleagues’ obvious misuse of government resources to damage political opponents is as obvious and repugnant as it is unethical and illegal."
Cuomo repeatedly denied any wrongdoing throughout his interview.