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New York congressman: Cuomo will not be governor in a couple months, but how he leaves ‘is up to him’

GOP Rep. Chris Jacobs discusses Biden infrastructure bill and the possibility of impeachment for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Albany, New York , Sheriff Craig Apple on Saturday said his office is in the "infant stages" of an investigation into allegations of criminal conduct against Gov. Andrew Cuomo .

The announcement comes after New York Attorney General Letitia James launched a civil investigation into allegations against Cuomo and published a 165-page report Tuesday that found the governor sexually harassed multiple women and retaliated against a former employee who complained, in violation of state law.

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That same day, Apple "received a call from a local attorney" who "indicated that he had a female client who wished to come forward and file an allegation of criminal conduct against the governor," which commenced the sheriff's investigation, he said during a Saturday press conference.

Albany, New York, Sheriff Craig Apple on Saturday said his office is in the "infant stages" of an investigation into allegations of criminal conduct against Gov. Andrew Cuomo (Fox News) (Fox News)

"I cannot get into the nature of her specific allegations at this time, obviously. We're at the very infant stages of this investigation," Apple said. "We have a lot of fact-finding to do. We have a lot of interviews to conduct. And it would be totally premature for me to comment on any of that."

The accuser will also come in for more questioning, at which point the sheriff and Albany District Attorney David Soares will meet and decided whether or not "to move forward with a criminal charge," Apple said.

Both the Albany sheriff's office and Soares's office have requested investigative material from the New York attorney general's office.

An assistant to Cuomo brought the complaint to the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, as The New York Post first reported . The victim identified in the complaint as "Executive Assistant #1" is alleging the governor groped her breast while they hugged in the Executive Mansion in Albany on Nov. 16.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo makes a statement in a pre-recorded video released, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021.  (Office of the NY Governor via AP)

The allegations reflected in James' report are based on accusations from 11 different complainants, nine of whom have previously worked for or currently work for Cuomo. Investigators said they found all 11 complainants to be credible , and their findings were "very well corroborated."

Apple said that James' report detailing numerous allegations against the governor "may have empowered" the executive assistant in question to move forward with her criminal complaint this week.

Cuomo has publicly denied any wrongdoing, saying on Tuesday that he "never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances."

James made clear that her investigation was civil in nature and that there are no criminal consequences from their report.