On Monday, Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced former governor of New York, emerged triumphantly. The fifth and last sexual harassment case against him was dropped; he also touted photos supposedly exculpating him from accusations.
Sexual Harassment or Intra-NY Leftist Power Struggle?
After an independent investigation commissioned by NY Attorney General Letitia James, a fellow Democrat, found evidence Cuomo sexually harassed 11 different women since 2013, he stepped down from office.
Cuomo, who was succeeded by his Lt. Governor, Kathy Hochul, adamantly denies the accusations.
However, the sexual harassment allegations weren’t the only scandals marring his last year in office; there are also the revelations that Cuomo blended folks sick with COVID into nursing homes, thereby prompting mass nursing homes deaths.
On Monday, Cuomo lashed out via Twitter against the months-long investigation into one of the alleged sexual harassment cases, namely, that he grabbed the chest of a New York state employee, Virginia Limmiatis, back in 2017, while at work.
Cuomo’s Twitter statement described the accusation as a “farce”. There have been rumors the investigation against the former governor was largely motivated by DA James’ political ambitions to become the next governor.
Cuomo’s statement came on Monday when Gregory Oakes, the DA of the Oswego County ruled there isn’t “sufficient legal basis” for Cuomo to be criminally charged.
Oakes’ office released a photo showing the then-governor touching Limmiatis’ shoulder. The photo was also touted as part of Cuomo’s Twitter statement.
The ruling of the Oswego County DA on Monday killed the fifth and last of all five criminal investigations of Andrew Cuomo over the sexual harassment claims.
“Pls see the photo of what the Oswego DA has been ‘investigating’ for months, demonstrating what a farce this has been from the beginning. As now 5 DAs have verified, none of the accusations in @NewYorkStateAG report have stood up to scrutiny & has wasted millions of taxpayer $$” pic.twitter.com/m6hFmsyrmb
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) January 31, 2022
Today is January 31st and Andrew Cuomo is a mass murderer!
— Joyce Day 🍊🍊🍊 (@Daytobehappy) January 31, 2022
‘Political Hit Job’ with a ‘Fraud of a Report’
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, issued a special statement to hail the DA ruling. Azzopardi echoed the message posted on Cuomo’s Twitter account to describe the entire investigation as a “farce”.
In his words, the entire sexual harassment report against the former governor has been nothing but a “political hit job” in order to serve the ambitions of Letitia James.
Azzopardi added the NY AG’s handling of the accusations against Cuomo squandered millions of taxpayer dollars and reeks of prosecutorial misconduct.
Rita Glavin, Cuomo’s lawyer, also issued a jubilant statement, touting the “photographic evidence” showing the then-governor “didn’t act improperly”.
Nevertheless, the Oswego County DA Oakes made sure to note in his statement that the fact the case against Cuomo is dropped doesn’t exonerate the disgraced Democrat. Oakes told the New York Post he believes Limmiatis’ description of what happened back in 2017.
He emphasized the fact he hasn’t found a sound criminal case against Cuomo shouldn’t be a “positive reflection” on the ex-governor, and his ruling is not an exoneration of the latter.
“In no way should this be a positive reflection on Andrew Cuomo. This decision is not an exoneration,” he said.
And still certain people are defending the behavior of power abusers such as #Cuomo. https://t.co/NS8ACWJDmg
— Mar (@Marden2022) January 31, 2022
Rita Glavin RE Oswego DA’s announcement that his investigation has been dropped
“The photographic evidence that the AG’s report hid from the public indisputably showed that Gov Cuomo did not act improperly. Truth and the rule of law prevailed, not politics or mob mentality.” pic.twitter.com/D3au4o9UxA
— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) January 31, 2022
