A selfie shot of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo with an executive assistant has been released as part of the official report on the month-long probe into sexual harassment allegations against him. The photo was taken in his home at the time he allegedly groped the woman.
According to New York Post, the woman in the photo, whose identity has been just revealed as Executive Assistant #1, is one of the primary complainants listed in the report. The selfie snap captured Cuomo wearing a smirk on his face as he sat back on a couch.
The 30-year-old staffer told investigators that the governor asked her to take selfies of them while they were busy at work together on New Year’s Eve 2019 inside his office at the Executive Mansion in Albany.
In her statement on the lengthy report she said that Cuomo slid his hand onto her butt cheek and started rubbing it for about five seconds while she held up the camera to take the photo. Cuomo then suggested that they sit down on the couch and take another selfie as the first one came out blurry.
The staffer was then told by Cuomo to send the photo to another female aide, Alyssa McGrath, who was asked by the governor not to share the photo with anyone else. She testified on this saying she had no idea why Cuomo wanted her to do this and thought the Governor had wanted McGrath to feel jealous or at least see how she would react to their selfie.
During an interview with investigators, Cuomo admitted to the selfie but said that it was the staffer’s idea as he did not like to take selfies. The blurry selfies were immediately deleted by the woman and investigators have failed to retrieve the deleted images. To this day, the governor has maintained that he has never touched anyone inappropriately.
However, contrary to his statement, in November 2020, the same assistant said Cuomo had allegedly groped her breast while at the Executive Mansion. The incident took place as she was about to leave for home when the governor pulled her in for a hug and then slammed his office door shut.
“You’re going to get us in trouble,” she told Cuomo. “I don’t care,” the governor replied, according to the report. The report also alleges that Cuomo “slid his hand up her blouse, and grabbed her breast, then cupped her breast over her bra.”
A spokesperson for the Albany Police Department said they have been made aware of the groping incident at the mansion but since they have never received a formal complaint, they have not been actively working on it.
Meanwhile, Albany County District Attorney David Soares reassured that the matter is being thoroughly reviewed but the office will refrain from making any additional comments in public regarding the status of the investigation. “We will be formally requesting investigative materials obtained by the A.G.’s office, and we welcome any victim to contact our office with additional information,” he said.
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