ALBANY, N.Y. — Andrew Cuomo will be required to appear virtually for a court session Friday as a judge considers a prosecutor’s request to dismiss a fondling case against the former New York governor.
Albany County District Attorney David Soares asked Judge Holly Trexler on Tuesday to dismiss the misdemeanor complaint, just three days before Cuomo’s scheduled arraignment.
Trexler notified prosecution and defense lawyers Thursday they will be required to appear virtually on Friday, along with Cuomo.
According to the criminal complaint, Cuomo was accused of putting his hand under a woman’s shirt on Dec. 7, 2020, during a work event. The document didn’t name the woman, but Cuomo had been publicly accused of groping aide Brittany Commisso at the executive mansion in Albany last year.
Cuomo has denied the charge.
Earlier this week Cuomo's former attorney, Elkan Abramowitz, was told that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office has closed its investigation of how the Cuomo administration handled nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was contacted today [Monday] by the head of the Elder Care Unit from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office who informed me they have closed its investigation involving the Executive Chamber and nursing homes. I was told that after a thorough investigation – as we have said all along – there was no evidence to suggest that any laws were broken," Abramowitz said in a provided statement.
Just last week it was announced that Cuomo will not be facing criminal charges stemming from allegations of unwanted kissing by two women, one of them a state trooper assigned to his detail.
Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah says while there was evidence to conclude the conduct the women described did occur, it did not merit charges. The alleged incident involving the trooper occurred at Cuomo's home in Mount Kisco.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
