Politics & Government
Cuomo's Sex Crime Arraignment Delayed After DA Pushback: Report
An Albany district attorney said a criminal complaint filed against the former governor by the local sheriff is "potentially defective."
NEW YORK — Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's arraignment on a misdemeanor sex-crime charge has been postponed after a district attorney called the complaint "potentially defective," according to reports.
An Albany City Court judge agreed on Friday to delay the arraignment — which had been scheduled for Nov. 17 — until January at the request of the district attorney, who had been investigating the incident when the criminal complaint was filed late last month, according to the New York Times.
The DA, David Soares, took issue with the sheriff who submitted the complaint for not coordinating with their office and noted several potential problems with the filing, the Times reported.
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The complaint is centered around a Dec. 7, 2020 incident in the governor's Executive Mansion in Albany. A woman, who the Times identified as Brittany Commisso, accused Cuomo of putting his hand under her shirt.
Among the problems with the sheriff's complaint, Soares said, was that it did not include a sworn statement from the victim. It also excluded parts of her testimony that could be "exculpatory," meaning they are inconsistent or may be favorable to the former governor's case, according to the Times.
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The district attorney requested the 60-day delay “to reduce the risk of a procedural dismissal of this case” and give his office “time to continue with our independent and unbiased review of the facts in this case," according to the outlet.
The arraignment is now scheduled for Jan. 7.
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