Albany police looking into allegations that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo groped a staffer

• Allegations from the sixth woman who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment have been referred to Albany police.
• Cuomo's alleged groping may rise "to the level of a crime," a police spokesman told The Times.
• Albany PD offered their services to the victim, but a criminal investigation has not yet begun, police said.

Albany police are looking into allegations of groping against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a spokesman told The New York Times on Thursday.

The allegation from Cuomo's sixth accuser was first reported by the Albany Times Union, with an unnamed current staffer reportedly telling her supervisor last week that the governor called her to his private residence over an issue with his iPhone before he allegedly put his hands underneath her blouse and began touching her once they were alone.

Albany police spokesman Steve Smith said the incident may rise "to the level of a crime," according to the Times.

Smith did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

While the department reached a representative for the woman to offer its services, a criminal investigation has not been started yet, Smith told The Times. Albany police received their referral from the New York State Police on Wednesday night, according to Smith.

The governor's acting counsel, Beth Garvey, told Insider that she called the police on Wednesday night to make the referral.

"As a matter of state policy, when allegations of physical contact are made, the agency informs the complainant that they should contact their local police department," Garvey said in a statement emailed to Insider. "If they decline, the agency has an obligation to reach out themselves and inform the department of the allegation."

"In this case, the person is represented by counsel and when counsel confirmed the client did not want to make a report, the state notified the police department and gave them the attorney's information," Garvey added.

New York Attorney General Tish James is also conducting an independent investigation into Cuomo's conduct, and the governor's office said they referred the sixth accuser to the AG's office.

Pressure continues to mount on Cuomo to resign, with 59 Democratic state lawmakers signing onto a joint letter released Thursday morning that urged him to step aside and let Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul take over for the remainder of his term, which expires at the end of 2022.

Cuomo could be impeached, with several Democratic lawmakers telling Insider they are open to doing so if he won't resign.

New York's impeachment process is very similar to that of the US Congress, with a simple majority needed in the lower chamber and a two-thirds majority in the upper one for the governor to be removed from office.