Judge dismisses sole criminal charge against Andrew Cuomo

“My disappointing experience of re-victimization with the failure to prosecute a serial sexual abuser, no matter what degree the crime committed, yet again sadly highlights the reason victims are afraid to come forward, especially against people in power,” Commisso said in a statement Tuesday to the Times Union of Albany.

The Associated Press doesn’t identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Commisso has done in interviews.

Soares, in a radio interview Friday, noted that the attorney general’s inquiry didn’t have the same legal requirements as a criminal case, and he said prosecutors can’t be swayed by public sentiment or “passions.”

“It’s not for me to engage in any kind of debate with those who aren’t equipped with as much information or the obligations that I have. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but there’s only one person with a burden of proof, and that’s me,” he told the WAMC/Northeast Public Radio network.

Two prosecutors in the New York City suburbs separately announced last month that Cuomo would not face charges for allegations involving other women who said they had been subjected to unwanted kisses or touches.

James, meanwhile, is still looking into whether Cuomo improperly used state workers and resources for his coronavirus pandemic memoir. He’s also tussling with state ethics commissioners who won him to turn over $5 million in book proceeds.

The U.S. Department of Justice in August opened a civil inquiry into sexual harassment allegations concerning Cuomo. The status of that investigation is unclear.