Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been charged with a misdemeanor sex crime for forcible touching.
The Democrat was charged in Albany City Court Thursday, a spokesperson for New York State Court has confirmed to Fox News.
“A Misdemeanor Complaint against former Governor Andrew Cuomo has been filed in Albany City Court” the spokesperson said in a statement. “As this is a sex crime, a redacted complaint will be available shortly.”
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Mariann Wang, an attorney for Cuomo accusers Alyssa McGrath and Virginia Limmiatis celebrated the news in a statement Thursday.
“My clients are enormously grateful for the courage of the women who have come forward to speak the truth about Cuomo’s misconduct,” Wang said. “Cuomo is being held to account as he should be, including by being forced to answer a criminal charge. We hope that all men who abuse their power by abusing women will see this and understand that there will be real consequences to their profoundly damaging behavior.”
The misdemeanor complaint describes forcible touching as when a “person intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose forcibly touches the sexual or other intimate parts of another person for the purpose of degrading or abusing such person, or for the purpose of gratifying the actor’s sexual desire.”
The charge comes after Cuomo resigned in August following sexual harassment allegations brought against him by 11 women who worked for him.
“New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York and I love you,” Cuomo said at the time. “I would never want to be unhelpful in any way, and I think given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing, and therefore, that’s what I’ll do.”
The former governor did admit to making jokes and giving out hugs and kisses, saying that his “sense of humor can be insensitive.”
“I have slipped and called people ‘honey, ‘sweetheart’ and ‘darling.’ I mean it to be endearing but women found it dated and offensive,” Cuomo said. “I take full responsibility for my actions. I have been too familiar with people. My sense of humor can be insensitive and off-putting.”
At the time though he denied any wrong doing, accusing the state investigators who released a report detailing the allegations against him of bias.
