Former head of CDC arrested on charges of groping woman

Tom Frieden, the former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was arraigned in New York on Friday afternoon and released without bail, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney.

Frieden was arrested Friday morning amid allegations he groped a woman in his apartment.

According to the New York Police Department, he was charged with forcible touching, sexual abuse and harassment after he allegedly inappropriately touched a woman in October 2017. He is accused of grabbing a woman’s buttocks. The woman reported the incident in July, police said.

{mosads}A spokesperson for Frieden told The Hill that the allegation “does not reflect” his “public or private behavior or his values over a lifetime of service to improve health around the world.”

It is unclear if Frieden has an attorney. He is expected to appear in court in Brooklyn later Friday.

Frieden was the CDC director from 2009 to 2017, leading the agency during the Ebola epidemic. Prior to that, he served as New York City health commissioner.

Frieden is currently president and CEO of the global health nonprofit Resolve to Save Lives.

In a statement, José L. Castro, president and CEO of Vital Strategies, the parent company of that initiative, said Frieden has his “full confidence.”

Castro said Frieden informed him in April that “a non-work-related friend of his and his family of more than 30 years accused him of inappropriate physical contact.”

“I have known and worked closely with Dr. Frieden for nearly 30 years and have seen first-hand that he has the highest ethical standards both personally and professionally,” Castro said. “In all of my experiences with him, there have never been any concerns or reports of inappropriate conduct.”

The district attorney said Frieden surrendered his passport and is prohibited from having any contact with the victim. His next court date is Oct. 11.

—Updated at 5:01 p.m.