Troopers in Cuomo protective unit interviewed as part of sexual harassment probe: report
ALBANY — State Troopers assigned to protect Gov. Cuomo are being interviewed by investigators probing sexual harassment claims against the embattled Democrat.
Current and former members of the special unit tasked with guarding the governor have spoken to independent investigators working under the supervision of Attorney General Letitia James, the Albany Times Union reported on Friday.
James’ office is overseeing a sprawling probe into Cuomo’s behavior after nearly a dozen women, including staffers, came forward with allegations of misconduct and harassment.
“He demands 100% loyalty and 100% commitment and gives none to the people who work for him,” a former member of the State Police who was interviewed by the attorney general’s investigators told the newspaper.
Troopers assigned to the detail guard the Executive Mansion, the governor’s official residence in Albany, and travel with the governor.
Members of the elite unit were asked about the “culture” in the Executive Chamber and their observations of how women were treated or interacted with the governor and his staff, according to the report.
“We have the highest regard for State Police and the troopers who serve on the Executive Detail,” Cuomo senior adviser Rich Azzopardi told the Times Union. “We are respecting the process and believe those seeking to settle scores and score political points under the cloak of anonymity should as well.”
Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing and has remained defiant as political heavyweights on both sides of the aisle called for his resignation.
James said late last month that the investigation, launched in March, has been so far “very thorough and comprehensive” and will “conclude when it concludes.”
At least four of the governor’s accusers have reportedly been subpoenaed to provide sworn testimony as part of the probe.
A spokeswoman for a lawyer representing former Cuomo aide Charlotte Bennett, who accused the governor of sexual advances, told the Daily News last month the 25-year-old expected to testify under oath.
Bennett alleged that the 63-year-old governor asked her questions about her sex life and whether she slept with older men while the two were alone inside his Albany office.
“I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me, and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared,” she told the New York Times about the encounter.
A current staffer has also alleged that Cuomo groped her under her blouse after she was called to the Executive Mansion late last year.
James’s office is also probing whether Cuomo illegally used state resources and enlisted staffers to help write and promote a COVID-themed leadership book that earned him over $5 million.
In addition to the state investigation, the governor is facing an impeachment inquiry in the state Assembly and a federal probe into his administration’s handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic.
