New York state troopers assigned to protect Gov. Andrew Cuomo have been interviewed by investigators amid a probe into allegations he sexually harassed female subordinates, the head of their union said Friday.
“They’ve been calling our people the last couple months and there are interviews being conducted,” said Trooper Tom Mungeer, president of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers.
“We’ve provided attorneys to at least three or four troopers who have been contacted.”
Calls to schedule the interviews began in the spring, shortly after Attorney General Letitia James hired outside lawyers to conduct the probe, Mungeer said.
The questioning of Cuomo’s bodyguards was first revealed by the Albany Times Union, which said the interviews were taking place despite non-disclosure agreements they were required to sign to join the elite Protective Services Unit.
But current and former members of the state police said the contracts may not cover unethical or criminal behavior — and James’ investigators have been asking about how Cuomo and his aides treat female workers, the Times Union said.
A few troopers have also been provided with lawyers, Tom Mungeer added. Hans Pennink
Tom Mungeer is president of the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers. FacebookFemale troopers are reportedly among those who’ve been questioned by the probers, who include former Manhattan US Attorney Joon Kim.
Some current or former members of Cuomo’s security detail have also undergone preliminary interviews as part of an impeachment investigation by the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, but that probe is moving much more slowly than the one commissioned by James, the Times Union said.
