The woman identified as "Executive Assistant #1" in New York Attorney General Letitia James' investigation of sexual harassment allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo went public Monday morning in an exclusive interview with CBS and The Times Union.
Brittany Commisso served in Andrew Cuomo's office as an executive assistant and was one of several current or former aides to accuse the Governor of sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact.
"To me, this was a dream job, and it, unfortunately, turned into a nightmare," Commisso said on CBS This Morning. "I am executive assistant in the governor's office but I'm also a mother, I'm a daughter, I'm a friend, I'm a colleague — I am more than executive assistant #1."
In an exclusive interview with @CBSThisMorning & @timesunion, Brittany Commisso, an Executive Assistant at NY Gov. Cuomo's office says he groped and sexually harassed her — allegations he denies.
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) August 9, 2021
"The governor needs to be held accountable... What he did to me was a crime." pic.twitter.com/uPuZiuEKq9
On New Year's Eve in 2019, Commisso claims, Andrew Cuomo groped her the first time. The Governor of New York would reportedly go on to grope Commisso a second time in November of 2020. And despite Commisso and other accusers' claims and the New York Attorney General's findings, Cuomo maintains his denial of all accusations.
“He came back to me and that’s when he put his hand up my blouse”: Brittany Commisso tells @CBSThisMorning and @timesunion that NY Gov. Cuomo groped her a second time at his mansion in November 2020, an allegation he denies. https://t.co/2DaMCmjgva pic.twitter.com/0TeWWch7e9
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) August 9, 2021
Commisso's accusations are just one set of allegations by eleven women that Attorney General James investigated and found to constitute sexual harassment in the workplace, a violation of state and federal law. Identified as "Executive Assistant #1" in the AG's report, James explained Cuomo's "pattern of inappropriate conduct" toward Commisso:
Since approximately late 2019, the Governor engaged in a pattern of inappropriate conduct with an executive assistant (“Executive Assistant #1”), who is a woman. That pattern of conduct included: (1) close and intimate hugs; (2) kisses on the cheeks, forehead, and at least one kiss on the lips; (3) touching and grabbing of Executive Assistant #1’s butt during hugs and, on one occasion, while taking selfies with him; and (4) comments and jokes by the Governor about Executive Assistant #1’s personal life and relationships, including calling her and another assistant “mingle mamas,” inquiring multiple times about whether she had cheated or would cheat on her husband, and asking her to help find him a girlfriend. These offensive interactions, among others, culminated in an incident at the Executive Mansion in November 2020 when the Governor, during another close hug with Executive Assistant #1, reached under her blouse and grabbed her breast. For over three months, Executive Assistant #1 kept this groping incident to herself and planned to take it “to the grave,” but found herself becoming emotional (in a way that was visible to her colleagues in the Executive Chamber) while watching the Governor state, at a press conference on March 3, 2021, that he had never “touched anyone inappropriately.” She then confided in certain of her colleagues, who in turn reported her allegations to senior staff in the Executive Chamber.
Andrew Cuomo's house of cards continues to fall apart even as he digs his heels in. Commisso's decision to come forward and identify herself as one of the victims mentions in the AG's report suggests his power is waning, meanwhile one of Cuomo's top aides — Melissa DeRosa — also stepped down over the weekend.
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