Orange County sheriff and undersheriff: ‘Some of the events documented in the AG’s report constitute criminal conduct by the Governor’

Last week, after reading the NYS Attorney General’s report, Sheriff Carl E. DuBois and Undersheriff Kenneth T. Jones called for Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign. When the governor did resign, DuBois and Jones issued the following statement:

“Even in his resignation, he failed to identify his conduct as inappropriate and would constitute misconduct for any other state employee. He continued to explain his conduct as a product of his ethnic culture and a personal standard. Neither of these reasons have been acceptable to explain such conduct for more than 20 years in the state’s own training for employees.

“We reiterate that some of the events documented in the report of the Attorney General constitute criminal conduct by the governor. Every police agency and prosecutor in a geographical area where such crimes are alleged to have occurred should immediately engage in a criminal investigation to determine whether arrest and prosecution are appropriate. Some agencies have. Regardless of his resignation this matter cannot be closed until such conclusions are reached.

“Attorney General James generated her report, and it remains credible, in that it was impartial and non-partisan. If the events alleged had no basis in fact it is unlikely that the Governor would have ever reached the conclusion that he should resign.

“The Sheriff’s Office looks forward to the change of leadership in Albany and we are hopeful that Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will lead New York in a more professional manner.

“We repeat that conduct of this nature would never be tolerated in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and any employee who did would face immediate investigation. When the facts are established, as they are in the report of the Attorney General, that employee would face termination.”