3 January 2022: What's Ahead for Cuomo Sexual Harassment Cases?

Editorial: Fish or cut bait: Prosecutors should decide quickly on whether to bring criminal charges against former Gov. Cuomo

The New York Daily News' editors are getting impatient at the pace at which county DAs are investigations allegations of sexual misconduct by resigned-in-disgrace former governor Andrew M. Cuomo. In the following excerpt however, we've focused on what still lies ahead with respect to any potential charges being filed against Cuomo.

Still unresolved are the probes by Oswego County District Attorney Greg Oakes and Manhattan DA Cy Vance, who leaves office tomorrow at midnight. Are they going to charge Cuomo with a crime or drop the inquiries, or in Vance’s case, hand it to his successor, Alvin Bragg?

The most significant matter is before Albany DA David Soares, who is dealing with the possible premature complaint brought by the local sheriff on a misdemeanor case of forcible touching against Cuomo, stemming from an allegation by Brittany Commisso that Cuomo groped her breast under her blouse. On Jan. 7, Soares must tell the court and the public if he thinks that there’s a crime that deserves prosecution.

All DAs have a duty to prosecute crimes that occur in their counties. And they have a duty to not to make allegations that they are unwilling to bring in a court of law. Both are very serious obligations and should not be used politically. Cuomo is gone from the governor’s mansion — correctly — but repercussions linger. What also lingers is AG James’ promise to release the rest of the transcripts from the August report.

The two county DAs who declined to pursue criminal charges against Cuomo both indicated the victims whose cases took place within their jurisdictions were "credible", where their decisions to not prosecute were based on technical considerations.

Still, it shouldn't be forgotten that Democratic party leaders in New York seized on the sexual harassment charges as a expedient way to force Cuomo from office to minimize damage to the pary's interests, believing the political damage from facing the music for Cuomo's COVID nursing home deaths scandals would be much greater. The actions of replacement Governor Kathy Hochul to only replace Cuomo appointed officials cited in the New York attorney general's report on Cuomo's sexual harassment allegations while otherwise turning a blind eye to that other, bigger scandal is consistent with that assessment.