Lawyers for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said there was a plot to drive him from office with unverified accusations of sexual harassment and called for transcripts of witness interviews in the case to be released so that the facts could be fully determined.
"In our legal system, both sides are heard and given access to the evidence, but here, instead of acting as independent fact-finders, the investigators acted as prosecutors, judge and jury," Rita Glavin, one of Cuomo's lawyers, told a media briefing on Friday. "There has been no open-minded fact-finding here in this case. This investigation was conducted in a manner to support a predetermined narrative."
On Tuesday, New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced that the investigation into allegations against Cuomo concluded he harassed at least 11 colleagues in violation of state and federal law. The investigation also revealed that he and a senior aide attempted to retaliate against the victims.
Since, President Joe Biden, a long-time political ally of Cuomo, has led a growing number of lawmakers and officials in the ruling Democratic party calling on the governor to resign.
The New York State Assembly has told Cuomo's lawyers to provide evidence they may have in his favour in the impeachment proceedings scheduled to begin next week against the governor.
Paul Fisherman, a fellow counsel for Cuomo, told Friday's media briefing that the Attorney General's chambers did not provide the Cuomo legal team an advance draft of its finding to verify or rebut, prior to publicizing the outcome of the investigation.
While that in itself was unusual, more surprising was the absence of full interview transcripts that allow unbiased scrutiny of what witnesses had said or were asked and the context of their responses, he said.
"No one was given a transcript of the interviews, not even the witnesses, to verify what they said,'' Fisherman added.
Cuomo denies any allegation of wrongdoing and has refused to resign.
On Friday, Cuomo's lawyers contested the timing, venue and detail in the allegations against their client, whom they said was being vilified for normal, everyday interactions, including with his former executive assistant.
Glavin said the governor deserves to be treated fairly like anybody else in the United States accused of something.
"He is 63 years old. He has spent 40 years in public life. And for him to, all of a sudden, be accused of a sexual assault of an executive assistant that he really doesn't know doesn't pass muster," she said.
A Marist poll released this week showed that nearly two-thirds of New York State residents wanted Cuomo to step down. (ANI/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
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