Commisso, as far as I know, has had no communication with anyone in the executive chamber or any allies of governor Cuomo.. She first claimed this happened on November 16, 2020. In her testimony, Commisso said Cuomo routinely talked about her physical appearance and repeatedly made sexually suggestive comments when she worked with him at the executive mansion in Albany. "He came back to me and that's when he put his hand up my blouse and cupped my breast over my bra," she said. Anyone can read what you share. Commisso claims Cuomo told her to send the picture to McGrath but not to share it with anyone else. Andrew Cuomoof sexual assault in state Attorney General Letitia James explosive report last week revealed her identity in a new interview, saying the Democratic governor "broke the law" and must be held accountable. By accessing and using the Website and Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the terms of this Disclaimer. During this conversation Commisso told Cuomo that she would visit an old boyfriend in Florida and that she also had a boyfriend in Saratoga, a detail omitted in the report. Commisso said this made her so nervous that her hands began to shake, making it difficult for her to even take the picture. There she learned that Benton had called EA#3 instead of her. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. It worked. ", Commisso described Cuomo's behavior that night as "almost as if he was in a sexually aggressive state of mind. Brittany Commisso reported Cuomo to the Albany County sheriff's office last week, days after an investigation by the state attorney general's office found she was among 11 women whom the . Commisso alleges that in late 2020, Cuomo hugged her, reached under her blouse, and grabbed her breast in the Executive Mansion. Then the investigators start asking questions about her coat because wearing a coat doesnt fit her narrative of Cuomo sliding his hand instantly and in .2 seconds under her blouse. Cuomo resigned on Tuesday. According to the report, one of Mr. Cuomos aides told Ms. Commisso to attend to the governor at his Executive Mansion office, where she said he pulled her into a close hug. You said when you went in, you had your coat on. He testified that it was Commisso who wanted to send it to McGrath to make her jealous. The governors special counsel Beth Garvey had also been asking around about her relationship status, Brittany told investigators. The selfie with Commisso was published with the report, which might have escalated the divorce situation and triggered the sudden criminal complaint. She said. Contacting us: If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Disclaimer, we encourage you to contact us using the details below: http://www.justiceforcuomo.org/contact-us/ or email contact@justiceforcuomo.orgThis document was last updated on October 10, 2021, Copyright 2023 Justice for Cuomo | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. Apples office took Commissos complaint during a brief interview on Thursday. Brittany Commisso, the executive assistant who claims that New York Gov. ", CUOMO EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT COMES FORWARD, ALLEGES NY GOVERNOR 'BROKE THE LAW'. Brittany Commisso was identified as "Executive Assistant #1" in James report accusing Cuomo of sexually harassing 11 women, including current and former state employees, from 2013 to 2020 in violation of state and federal law. During her testimony, the investigators discuss the issue with her in detail and try to lead her to resolve this discrepancy. She then worked in the Albany County Alternate Public Defenders Office until late 2017, when she was hired as an executive assistant in the governors office, the Times Union reported. At the annual holiday party in 2019, Cuomo took a picture with Commisso and her friend McGrath. ", Commisso said that she filed a criminal complaint because "it was the right thing to do. Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct, suggested to investigators that allies of the disgraced politician tried to meddle in her divorce proceedings in a brazen attempt to discredit her, according to disturbing new transcripts released this week. Heres what you need to know about Brittany Commisso and her accusations against Cuomo: Cuomo is accused in the report of engaging in a pattern of inappropriate conduct with Commisso since about late 2019, according to the attorney generals report. Premo told the newspaper, the day we met that she would take a polygraph test without hesitation.. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, has identified herself as Brittany Commisso, Cuomo mocks Biden over China spy balloon debacle, Sky-high costs: Hochul sticks NY taxpayers with $271K flight tab in first year as gov, Mario bridge name bill: Letters to the Editor Feb. 24, 2023, How to bring back The Tappan Zee Bridge with some class. And he said, 'Oh, those aren't those aren't good.'". I would have to lose my mind to do such a thing. On the recording her husband, who filed for divorce in January, implied that he knows that we had an affair, Commisso said. ALBANY Brittany Commisso, the executive assistant whom Gov. Brittany Commisso acknowledged in an interview with "CBS This Morning" and The Albany Times Union that she was the person identified as "Executive Assistant #1" in a report by the New York . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. ', Commisso added, I didnt have another choice. A politician, attorney, and novelist from the United States named Andrew is charged of pestering women sexually. Andrew Cuomo of sexual misconduct, suggested to investigators that allies of the disgraced politician tried to meddle in her divorce. Frank Commisso for Mayor/Twitter "He broke the law. Commisso has been married since 2016 to Frank Commisso Jr., 37, a former Albany Common Council member who works for the New York State and Local Retirement System. Brittany Commisso, who was identified as "Executive Assistant #1" in the state attorney general's scathing report, granted an exclusive interview with "CBS This Morning" and the Times Union. Commisso has said she initially kept silent about Cuomos alleged gross behavior because she feared retribution from his staff and because she wanted to protect her daughter. Before that, she worked as a confidential stenographer for the Department of Transportation, according to information provided by the Empire Center for Public Policy. The governor of New York is presently facing the most severe charges of sexual misconduct. Commisso was married in 2016 to former Albany Common Council member Frank Commisso Jr., the son of Albany County Legislator Frank Commisso Sr., a Democrat. And I thank them, because without them, I don't know if I would have come forward.". We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. That never happened.. Brittany Commisso began working as an executive assistant in the governor's office in 2017. The next day, March 7, Commisso met with EA#2 and EA#3 and retained a personal injury lawyer, which indicates she was looking for a monetary award in a civil lawsuit. Commissos estranged husband ran unsuccessfully for Albany mayor in 2017 as a Democrat. She started to work for Cuomo in the Executive Chamber as an Administrative Assistant in 2019. Lastly, the photo itself clearly contradicts her story. I apologize, I dont remember the actual specifics of the material.Q. But when she asked Frank to confirm that the people he was speaking to were individuals tied to Cuomo, he backtracked. Her husband filed for divorce summons with notice are recorded at Albany County Clerk on February 22, 2021, with Brittany Commisso as a defendant, 9 days before she started her allegations. Brittany Commisso begged her then-boss Andrew Cuomo for a raise and not to cut her hours in November 2020 despite the fact she'd have to leave early to pick up her daughter from school, he said. It was then that Commisso claims the governor groped her a second time. Her estranged husband and his family are involved in Democratic politics in the Albany area. "There's a difference between being an affectionate and warm person. Brittany Commisso, who filed a criminal complaint against Gov. Commisso, known as. As evidence, she submitted the photo below which was taken AFTER the alleged incident. He slammed the door shut and said I dont care (she was thinking about the staff downstairs hearing it). The New York State Assembly will decide whether to impeach Cuomo. Let me be clear, he said Tuesday. Commissotestified that Cuomo grabbed herbutt while they took a selfie in the executive mansion in 2019 and that in 2020 he reached under her blouse and grabbed her breast. After finishing her assignment pulled her in for a close hug. Maybe he had a letter or dictation that he wanted to do, and he said no, thats it. And my understanding is thats how she got her job, he said. She was already thin, but has lost significant weight, is emotionally fragile, and as the mother of a young child remains concerned about job security. "I then felt while taking the selfie, his hand go down my back onto my butt, and he started rubbing it. He cupped my breast, she told investigators. On March 9, the lawyer contacted the Executive Chamber and said that he planned to file an administrative complaint on her behalf and that Commisso would not pursue the matter criminally. The divorce proceedings are ongoing, with a trial set for March 16, 2022, in Albany court. In her CBS interview, Commisso claimed that after the butt grope they sat down on the couch, where she felt safer, when in fact it puts her in a more vulnerable position. Her husband, Frank Commisso Jr., even suggested he had spoken to the Cuomo camp in a tape-recorded conversation Commisso made that discussed the bogus affair, according to a transcript of her interview released Wednesday. Cuomo denies the claim. The Governors Counsel Judith Mogul testified that Commisso told them that Cuomo had forcefully thrown her up against the wall and put his hand under her shirt and felt her breast. (Screenshot from AG report, fn#214, p#31). She first made her complaint to the attorney generals office in March 2021. Additionally, on November 25, Cuomo was 225 miles away in Rochester holding a briefing around noon, and then giving out turkeys.The task is now specified as assisting him how to text a note from his iPhone to Benton. We've received your submission. But she claimed that Frank, a former Albany Common Council member who works for the New York State and Local Retirement System, then tried to use the affair claim as a way to get out of paying child support for their daughter allegedly threatening to amend his no-fault divorce filing to one saying she had been unfaithful. Commisso claims Cuomo groped her in December 2019 and November 2020. His father is Frank Commisso Sr., a Democratic member of the Albany County Legislature since 1983. (Screenshot from Submission to AG, p 88). "I was afraid that if I had come forward, and revealed my name, that the governor and his 'enablers' I like to call them would viciously attack me, would smear my name as I had seen and heard them do before to people," she said. He kissed one on the forehead, one on the cheek. In an exclusive interview with @CBSThisMorning & @timesunion, Brittany Commisso, an Executive Assistant at NY Gov. Josh Solomon, a capitol bureau reporter. It was, it was I don't have the words. Brittany Commisso was identified as "Executive Assistant #1" in James' report accusing Cuomo of sexually harassing 11 women, including current and former state employees, from 2013 to 2020 in. was groped, I was just so confused and so taken aback by it. In December of that same year, she said she was with Cuomo at the executive mansion when he asked her to take a "selfie" with him. The investigators ignored McGraths lie when she explains her text message which contradicts the narrative. She also said that she did not come forward publicly because she was fearful of retaliation. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. One of the women who accused New YorkGov. This disclaimer was created with the disclaimer generator. interview with CBS News and the Albany Times-Union, with the Albany Times-Union in April 2021. We've received your submission. Will Pavia, New York. I believe it was my black coat that has a zipper on it and I think it has a belt with it too.Q. "He was to my left. A. I remember at first no, Im okay and he said no, you can take your coat off and I said okay. Commisso has continued to work at the Capitol, according to the Times-Union, which wrote in April 2021: In the backdrop of the dual investigations and the political theater, the young woman at the center of the most serious allegations has soldiered on, reporting to her job at the Capitol where she has endured an occasional dirty look and fewer work assignments. The governor has repeatedly denied that ever took place and quite frankly, when she first raised this in early March, he was stunned.. AG report p. 20, fn#123. Brittany Commisso is the woman identified as "executive assistant #1" in the New York Attorney General's investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo. It is the first time she has been named publicly. She said, You just wait and see, and the governor will be stealing you,' the woman said. Mr. Cuomos top aide, Melissa DeRosa, was among those who spearheaded the effort, the report said. There are troopers that are outside of the mansion and there are some mansion staff. The mom of one, who began working in the Executive Chamber in 2019, recalled hearing rumors that Cuomo was saying we were having an affair and that was going to be his defense., She suggested that should her husband file court papers alleging adultery, that would help the governor and I think that is absolutely disgusting.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "He cupped my breast," Commisso told investigators. She said as they were posing for the photo, Cuomo moved his hand to grab her butt cheek and then rubbed it for "at least five seconds.". Commisso has accused Cuomo of groping her.. She said he would also ask about her divorce and whether she had ever had sex with other men during her marriage. Around November 2019, when she started to assist Mr. Cuomo at the Executive Mansion, the governor would comment on her appearance, the attorney generals report said. In the attorney generals report, the investigators wrote, that Brittany Commisso repeatedly testified that she felt she had to tolerate the Governors physical advances and suggestive comments because she feared the repercussions if she did not. The report added that Commisso, testified that she needed the income (including the overtime pay received from working on weekends), particularly as she was going through a divorce and was focused on not risking losing her job., During her interview with the Albany Times-Union in April 2021, which was published without naming her, Commisso said about the incident when she said she. I believe that I think what I had done was I had taken it off when I sat down, when he said I think I did take off my coat, he was like no, take your coat off, I did take off my coat. Furthermore, Commisso did not agree to an interview with the Albany Police Department. CUOMO FOLLOWS WELL-USED PLAYBOOK BY SCANDAL-PLAGUED POLITICIANS: DENY WRONGDOING, WAIT IT OUT. Brittany Commisso, one of the women accusing ex-Gov. From 2013 to 2017, Commisso worked as a confidential secretary in the Albany County Department of Law, according to her LinkedIn profile. And that right thing is to resign and to tell the truth.". Cuomo looks understandably as this was the time of holiday events, speeches, and most importantly preparing for the State of the State speech tired and beaten up. He said that he went along with the hugs because he did not want to make anyone feel awkward about anything.. His actions toward her, she said, made her uncomfortable. Kevin Spacey faces 7 more sexual offense charges in the U.K. CBS and Les Moonves reach settlement with N.Y. attorney general, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo resigns over sexual harassment claims: "The best way I can help now is to step aside". "I'm a former federal prosecutor and I know the difference between putting a case together against a target, versus doing independent fact-finding with an open mind," Glavin said. Commisso is a close friend of another accuser, Alyssa McGrath since high school. They are currently going through a contested divorce, according to New York state records. Was it a blouse that had buttons up the front or just no buttons and he came up from underneath?A. I told them.. And it was certainly not consensual.". Commisso told investigators she was too scared of losing her job to speak out against Cuomo at the time. Records also show that several people were at the Mansion, including Ms. Benton, Ms. DeRosa, and Peter Ajemian, none of whom were asked about what they heard or saw that day, as one would expect in a real investigation. She told him the divorce created financial pressure. The governor has denied all of the accusations and has strongly repudiated the allegations from Ms. Commisso. Brittany Commisso (born in 1989; Age: 32 years old) is an American Executive Assistant #1 from New York. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in #Albany! In 2019, Commisso said Cuomo put his hand on her butt while guiding her through the executive mansion. Yes, I definitely had my coat on me.Q. They ignored Commissos financial motive. Commisso sent the selfie to her friend McGrath when still next to Cuomo. I felt as though if I did something to insult him, especially insult him in his own home, it wasnt going to be him that was going to get fired or in trouble. Her selfie story is incongruent with facts and is nonsensical. (AG report p. 20-21). He also stated that the photo had been taken at her request and that he had asked her not to share it. Commisso also apologized to Cuomo's other accusers for not coming forward and telling her own story sooner. Mr. Cuomos lawyer, Rita Glavin, reiterated those comments in an interview with MSNBC on Monday, hours after Ms. Commissos interview was broadcast. If Cuomo wanted the photo or wanted to exercise power, he would have used his phone. Neither of them said anything and she walked out. Cuomo allegedly endured harassment, An investigator says that an executive assistant of Governor Andrew Cuomo endured a series of inappropriate encounters with Governor Andrew Cuomo. The independent investigators selected are widely respected professionals, recognized for their legal and investigatory ability. Commisso previously gave an anonymous interview to the Times-Union in April 2021. Content and postings: You may print or copy any part of the Website and Services for your personal or non-commercial use. They were corroborated by the state attorney generals report, which included multiple allegations of sexual harassment against Mr. Cuomo. It was so fast. [She steps back, reminds him the door is open and says he will get them in trouble, he says I dont care, slams the door shut, comes back, says again I dont care, pulls her back in, she says you are crazy and pulls away, nobody says anything, she leaves]. Monday August 09 2021, 4.30pm, The Times. Brittany Commisso is Executive Assistant #1 in the AGs report and Ms. In a damning report released last week by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is accused of sexually harassing 11 women. Times Union Article, October 11, 2021:Subpoenaed records indicate the incident took place in early December as opposed to November, as erroneously proffered in a report by investigators with the state attorney generals office. It was a black coat, a black long winter coat.Q. She provided different versions on different occasions, which were inconsistent with the evidence and other witness statements, and she contradicted herself repeatedly. Gerald Leary, divorce attorney for Frank Commisso Jr., said, Mr. They ignored that the selfie was photoshopped. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. The only date in November for which, that I see records that she visited the mansion was on November 16, Ms. Glavin said on MSNBC. The report fails to note that it was the Executive Chamber that alerted the Albany Police Department and instead misleadingly states that criminal authorities [] have been alerted to the most egregious allegations. Commisso stated that the incident happened around the day she was tasked to take a photo of the document. Brittany Commisso, the executive assistant who accused Gov. Andrew is an American politician, lawyer, and author who is accused of sexually harassing women. Now, she is speaking publicly for the first time since filing a criminal complaint against Cuomo last. After finishing her draft of the speech, she said, Mr. Cuomo suggested the two of them take a selfie. X in the Position Statement, but she has since revealed her identity. Lyons claims that after Commisso told TU and the investigators the groping had occurred around or after Nov. 16 [] she later told the Times Union that the incident had occurred weeks later.Note: In her Submission to the AG on October 20, 2021, Rita Glavin established that the only day Commisso was in the Mansion was December 7, 2020, which was also the day the Sheriffs office claimed the incident happened between 3.51 pm and 4.07 pm. "These were not hugs that he would give his mother or his brother," Commisso said. Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing following the state AGs report and has refused widespread calls to resign. In an exclusive "CBS This Morning" and the Times Union interview, Brittany Commisso says Governor Andrew Cuomo groped and sexually harassed her. 32 year old Brittany Commisso started working as an executive assistant in New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's office in 2017. In early 2020, Commisso said Cuomo kissed her on the lips during one of his routine hugs. "The governor knows that what he did to me and what he did to these 10 other women, whether it be a comment or an actual physical contact, was sexual harassment. Brittany Commisso is "Executive Assistant #1 in the AG's report and "Ms. X" in the Position Statement, but she has since revealed her identity. She then became visibly emotional and told two other assistants (#2 and #3) about inappropriate conversations with the Governor and that he had touched her.. Glavin said, I did what any investigator would do, which I reconstructed the events of that day (November 16, 2020). Brittany Commisso's claims were first detailed in a report which found Mr Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women. Commisso is one of 11 women accusing Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment in a recent investigation. Commisso's accusations of increasingly inappropriate advances included Cuomo sneaking his hand down to her butt and rubbing it, during an embrace for a selfie that he suggested they take . He then said And I told them I wasnt going to do that scumbag Cuomos dirty work, she recalled. The Commisso pair are going through a contested divorce. I think I asked him are you all set. Commisso Testimony Pages 146 149:Q. Her text message exchange with McGrath indicates that they considered the matter entertaining and desirable. I could only assume that is coming from Cuomos attorneys or his people., While this is all going on these rumors are going around and being told to me, she said, and now Im learning that they were possibly trying to work with my ex-husband to try to get him to, like he said, do his dirty work.. However, after a couple of months and processing this whole thing, I do want her to know that she has a voice, Commisso saidin Mondays sit-down. "I know what happened and so does he," Commisso, 33, who was referred to as "Executive Assistant 1" in a report accusing . What he did to me was a crime. The investigators established the breast groping incident took place on November 16 based on a photo. Indemnification and warranties: The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. If he was doing anything inappropriate, he would not leave a photo of it as evidence on the phone of his victim. "Therewill be a rolling production of interview transcripts made available to the state Assembly, which will be redacted as needed," he said. According to the New York state record; the married couple is currently going through a contested divorce, apparently. Not, you know, quickly brushing over it rubbing my butt.. Market data provided by Factset. More information:https://ag.ny. Cuomo's office says he groped and sexually harassed her allegations he. This salary is 7 percent lower than average and 21 percent higher than median salary in Executive Chamber. 1 of 8 Brittany Commisso, who accused Gov. Commisso has a clear financial motive. They ignored it. A footnote in the report notes that Commisso did not remember the exact date of the incident, but said it was around November 16, 2020. Commisso says she is the woman who is referred to as "Executive Assistant #1" in last week's report commissioned by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Andrew Cuomo said that the Democrat needs counseling as she described his "sexually aggressive" groping that led her to lodge a criminal complaint last week.. On March 8, EA#2 and #3 reported the incident to the governors counsel, who relayed the information to the AGs office and GOER, the Governors Office of Employee Relations. (AG report p. 17-18). Brittany Commisso is a 32-year-old American Executive Assistant #1 from New York who was born in 1989. "So we sat down on the couch and in the photo I have my arm wrapped around his shoulder, almost as if we were taking a picture with a buddy. In an exclusive interview with "CBS This Morning" and the Times Union, one of those women, previously known only as Executive Assistant #1 is breaking her silence. Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer, resigned as chairwoman from the women's advocacy group Time's Up after outrage over the disclosure that she had been enlisted by Cuomo's team in an effort to discredit the same accuser DeRosa had targeted. Brittany, Frank's wife, is one of 11 women who have accused the Governor of inappropriate sexual behavior at work. None of this is evidence of any wrongdoing on Cuomos side. The report described in detail efforts to retaliate against another woman who had spoken out publicly about her allegation against the governor in December. On March 9 and March 10, 2021, Times Union reported that according to an anonymous source an unnamed current female employee (Commisso) accused Cuomo of groping her at the Governors mansion. He told her she looked good for her age, suggested she show some leg, and seemed to take issue with her wearing her hair up, the report said. I would never on my own get up and initiate a hug with the governor, Ms. Commisso said in a joint interview with CBS This Morning and the Albany Times Union. Cuomo could face a couple of misdemeanor charges based on Commissos allegations, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said Saturday. I never want her to be afraid to speak. I feel like I was being taken advantage of., The report described the alleged groping as the culmination of a series of offensive interactions that also include Cuomos alleged touching and grabbing of [Commissos] butt during hugs and, on one occasion, while taking selfies with him.. And it's your turn to do the right thing. https://t.co/W9SGPNSf1S pic.twitter.com/kRulD0ViUD, CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) August 8, 2021. Disclaimer: This disclaimer (Disclaimer) sets forth the general guidelines, disclosures, and terms of your use of the justiceforcuomo.org website (Website or Service) and any of its related products and services (collectively, Services).
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