18 August 2021: Would Cuomo Qualify as a Sex Offender in NY?

Could Cuomo Have To Register As A Sex Offender? Investigations Continue For Embattled Governor

This report addresses the speculation Andrew M. Cuomo may have to register as a sex offender in New York if any of the criminal investigations involving his alleged sexual harassment of multiple female victims should result in a conviction:

Five district attorneys have requested materials from the State Attorney General’s office in order to consider potential criminal charges against Cuomo for instances of sexual misconduct that allegedly took place in Albany, Manhattan, Westchester, Nassau and Oswego counties, as detailed in the AG’s report released earlier this month.

Several women described unwanted kisses and touching from Cuomo and current staffer Brittany Commisso said he groped her under her blouse last fall. According to criminal defense attorney Matthew Galluzo, county prosecutors could choose to bring charges against Cuomo in the form of a forcible touching count, a class A misdemeanor, or as sexual abuse in the third degree, a class B misdemeanor. Forcible touching carries a maximum of one year in prison.

If Cuomo is convicted on multiple counts in New York state, he could potentially have to register as a sex offender, though Galluzo says it’s not required after a single conviction.

“Because there’s multiple cases here and multiple incidents, it is conceivable that he would eventually be registered as a sex offender,” Galluzo said. “That is definitely possible.”

State data from the Division of Criminal Justice Services shows about half of the forcible touching cases in the state tend to end with convictions or sentencing, and most of those are settled with a conditional discharge, not jail time.

Much will depend upon any specific charges that may be filed. At present, we think it is unlikely Cuomo will have to register as a sex offender.

The report continues to observe that Cuomo also faces more likely consequences in the form of civil lawsuits filed by the women he is accused of sexually harassing while Governor of New York. It also mentions the potential for federal charges related to his administration's cover-up of COVID nursing home deaths and also state charges related to the scandals associated with Cuomo's pandemic "leadership" book.