Former assistant sues Cuomo for sexual harassment

Brittany Commisso alleges former New York governor groped her and made sexualized comments about her appearance

Brittany Commisso alleges in a lawsuit that Andrew Cuomo harassed her

A former executive assistant to Andrew Cuomo has sued the former New York governor for sexual harassment.

Brittany Commisso alleges, according to a three-page summons filed last week, that her ex-boss subjected her to continuous harassment, including groping her, making sexualized comments about her appearance, and assigning her “humiliating and demeaning tasks.”

Cuomo resigned in 2021 after the release of a report issued by fellow Democrat Attorney- General Letitia James that concluded that 11 women — including Ms Commisso — were sexually harassed by Mr Cuomo. State lawmakers were moving forward with impeachment proceedings as Mr Cuomo stepped down.

Rita Glavin, Mr Cuomo’s lawyer, rejected the allegations against the former governor, referring to a failed attempt in 2021 to bring criminal charges against Mr Cuomo.

“Ms Commisso’s claims are provably false, which is why the Albany District Attorney dismissed the case two years ago after a thorough investigation,” Ms Glavin said. “Ms Commisso’s transparent attempt at a cash grab will fail. We look forward to seeing her in court.”

In a report by the New York attorney general,Andrew Cuomo was accused of harassing 11 women. Picture: AFP

In a statement provided by her lawyer, Brian Premo, Ms Commisso said she was disgusted by recent chatter that Cuomo might consider a run for New York City mayor given that he “will not accept responsibility or even acknowledge his sexual harassment of me, aside from numerous other victims, while the governor of our state.”

As for a possible mayoral run by Mr Cuomo, Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for the former governor, said Mr Cuomo frequently gets questioned about his political future. Azzopardi said he thinks the queries “are fuelled by the fact that many people are facing a crisis in confidence in government at many levels and now view the circumstances in which he left office as the political railroading that it was”.

Mr Cuomo earlier this year subpoenaed several of the women in the attorney-general’s report, including Commisso, as part of an effort to clear his name.

The former governor also faces two federal lawsuits: one from Charlotte Bennett, a former executive assistant, who said Mr Cuomo asked her about her sex life and whether she had relationships with older men; and another from an unidentified state trooper, known as Trooper 1, who said Mr Cuomo touched her inappropriately when she was assigned to his gubernatorial security detail.

Ms Commisso’s suit came amid a flurry of filings being made ahead of the expiration of the New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which permits people who say they suffered abuse in the past to bring civil lawsuits even after the statute of limitations has expired.

Jimmy Vielkind contributed to this article.

The Wall Street Journal