NEW YORK -- During a briefing Friday, Andrew Cuomo’s attorney Rita Glavin again attempted to discredit the women who have accused the soon-to-be-former governor of sexual harassment.
Reiterating several previously made claims, Glavin said New York Attorney General Letitia James' report is not complete.
Glavin also said she has not been given access to all investigative materials despite requests to the Assembly Judiciary Committee and attorney general.
“We have been given some new information that pertains to Miss Bennett, relating to her credibility,” said Rita Glavin, Cuomo’s Attorney.
The veiled and unspecified swipe at Charlotte Bennett was part of another detailed power point take down of several of the governor’s 11 accusers. Glavin also attacked the credibility of the Attorney General’s finding on sexual misconduct.
Glavin intends to ask that the report to be amended based on a submission of evidence on Cuomo's behalf. Among the pieces of evidence allegedly missing from the report are images Glavin said prove Cuomo's innocence.
“It is incumbent upon the chief legal officer of our state to make corrections, include material omissions and supplement the record with information that bears directly on a number of the findings included in that report,” Glavin said.
In response, James released a statement Friday afternoon calling the report "exhaustive, thorough, and without outside influence, period."
In a statement, Delaney Kempner, Director of Communications for the AG said:
“Given the multiple, ongoing criminal investigations into the governor’s conduct, it would not be appropriate to respond further to these baseless attacks. The 168-page report and additional 486 pages of exhibits clearly corroborate the experiences of the complainants, yet the governor and his aides continue to undermine those who seek to expose this dangerous conduct."
Cuomo's last full day in office as governor is Monday. Current Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will take over as governor at midnight.
Glavin's defenses of Cuomo on Friday mirrored some of what the attorney laid out on Aug. 10, shortly before the governor announced he would resign in 14 days - effectively giving New York his two weeks' notice.
The governor's stunning announcement came exactly one week after James announced the findings of a nearly five-month investigation.
All 11 women who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment were credible, investigators said, noting that their allegations were corroborated to varying degrees, including by other witnesses and contemporaneous text messages.
The Cuomo administration was also said to foster a “hostile work environment” and that it was “rife with fear and intimidation.”
The New York state assembly has said Cuomo will not face impeachment since he plans to resign, but the assembly will release a final report on their impeachment investigation.
While New Yorkers await the report, other Cuomo news may make headlines.
The families of the more than 15,000 New Yorkers who died in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic still want accountability.
James' office is also investigating claims the governor misused his office in completing a book about his handling of the pandemic.
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