Evening Edition: AG Pam Bondi Tours Alcatraz For Possible Reopening
Fox's John Saucier speaks to David Spunt, Washington-based correspondent for the FOX News Channel, who joined the tour of the once supposedly inescapable prison.
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Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former Cuomo aide Brittany Commisso settles sexual harassment lawsuit for $450,000
NEW YORK — New York state on Friday agreed to pay $450,000 to Brittany Commisso, a former aide to Andrew Cuomo who accused him of groping and subjecting her to persistent sexual harassment on the job at the governor's office. Lawyers for Commisso called the settlement by Gov. Kathy Hochul's office 'a complete vindication' of her claims against Cuomo, leveled in a November 2023 suit filed under the Adult Survivors Act. '[Just] as the repeated findings made by the Attorney General, the State Assembly and the US Department of Justice were. Those three independent investigations all found that Cuomo subjected Ms. Commisso to unwanted sexual harassment and groping when she worked for him as an assistant,' Mariann Wang and Kevin Mintzer said in a joint statement. 'Ms. Commisso is proud to have reported the truth and vindicated her rights in court, and likewise glad to be able to move forward with her life.' Lawyers for the former Democratic governor, now running as an independent in the race for New York City mayor, said they would challenge the settlement to keep the case active so they would have the opportunity to dispute the allegations in court., They said the settlement was 'not a vindication,' but rather a 'capitulation to avoid the truth.' It does not require Cuomo to admit to any wrongdoing, and Cuomo has repeatedly denied the accusations against him, including Commiso's. The state settled a suit brought by former Cuomo aide Charlotte Bennett for the same amount in April in a case alleging similar claims. Commisso's suit, which was filed in state Supreme Court in Albany, claimed that after rebuffing Cuomo's advances and reporting his conduct in March 2021, she was demoted and reassigned to answering phones for then-Lt. Gov. Hochul. Friday's settlement also resolves Commisso's retaliation claim against Hochul and includes a promise she will not apply to work at the governor's office again until after December 2030. Hochul spokesman Anthony Hogrebe, in a statement, said, 'The State of New York is pleased to have settled this matter in a way that allows us to minimize further costs to taxpayers.' Commisso, 36, was one of the 11 women whose sexual harassment claims against Cuomo led to his resignation in August 2021. She accused the former governor of relentlessly sexually harassing her after she started working with him in close quarters as an assistant in 2019. The suit alleged Cuomo was prone to 'hugging and kissing her, pressing his body up against hers, and rubbing her backside with his hands.' In one alleged December 2020 incident at the governor's mansion outlined in the lawsuit, Commisso claimed Cuomo put his arms around her, stuck his hand in her blouse and groped her breast. An investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James's office in 2021 substantiated Commisso's claims and those of 10 other women who accused Cuomo of sexual misconduct. Cuomo, who has called the report politically motivated, did not face criminal charges in any of the alleged incidents. In statements to The News trading barbs with Commisso's legal team, lawyers for Cuomo criticized the settlement as rushed. They accused Commisso of settling to avoid a deposition and withholding text messages from the AG's probe. 'This nuisance settlement, which expressly does not include any admission of liability, is intended to end Ms. Commisso's failed efforts to leverage a meritless lawsuit into a multimillion dollar payday while hiding the truth from the public,' Rita Glavin and Theresa Trzaskoma said. Commisso's attorneys pushed back on the claims, saying she settled to move on from the years-old litigation. 'Contrary to the rantings of Cuomo's lawyers, we are confident that Ms. Commisso would prevail at trial. However, because the state offered her a very appealing settlement, Ms. Commisso, like NYC voters, decided to turn the page on Cuomo. He should learn how to take no for an answer.' Cuomo's attorneys responded, 'Ms. Commisso's counsel knows full well that a $225k payment in a high-profile case is not 'appealing' if you're actually confident of prevailing at trial.' The full $450,000 settlement will be divided between Commisso and her lawyers. Cuomo this week announced plans to mount an independent bid in November's general election despite his loss to state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic mayoral primary. _____
Boston Globe
21 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Trump sues Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over reporting on Epstein ties
Trump promised a lawsuit after The Wall Street Journal described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump's name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein's 50th birthday. Trump denied writing the letter, calling the story 'false, malicious, and defamatory.' The letter revealed by The Wall Street Journal was reportedly collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein years before the wealthy financier was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The letter bearing Trump's name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman and ends with, 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,' according to the newspaper. Advertisement The outlet described the contents of the letter but did not publish a photo showing it entirely or provide details on how it came to learn about it. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below. The Justice Department asked a federal court on Friday to unseal grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein's case at the direction of President Donald Trump amid a firestorm over the administration's handling of records related to the wealthy financier. Advertisement The move — coming a day after a Wall Street Journal story put a spotlight on Trump's relationship with Epstein — seeks to contain a growing controversy that has engulfed the administration since it announced that it would not be releasing more government files from Epstein's sex trafficking case. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed motions urging the court to unseal the Epstein transcripts as well as those in the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. Epstein killed himself in 2019 shortly after his arrest while awaiting trial. The Justice Department's announcement that it would not be making public any more Epstein files enraged parts of Trump's base in part because members of his own administration had hyped the expected release and stoked conspiracies around the well-connected financier. Trump's demand to release the grand jury transcripts came after The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday on a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump's name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein's 50th birthday. The letter bearing Trump's name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman and ends with, 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,' according to the newspaper. The outlet described the contents of the letter but did not publish a photo showing it entirely. Trump denied writing the letter, calling it 'false, malicious, and defamatory' and promised to sue. Trump said he spoke to both to the paper's owner, Rupert Murdoch, and its top editor, Emma Tucker, and told them the letter was 'fake.' Advertisement 'These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures,' the president wrote on social media. The Justice Department said in the court filings that it will work with with prosecutors in New York to make appropriate redactions of victim-related information and other personally identifying information before transcripts are released. 'Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims,' Blanche wrote. But despite the new push to release the grand jury transcripts, the administration has not announced plans to reverse course and release other evidence in its possession. Attorney General Pam Bondi had hyped the release of more materials after the first Epstein files disclosure in February sparked outrage because it contained no new revelations. A judge would have to approve the release of the grand jury transcripts, and it's likely to be a lengthy process to decide what can become public and to make redactions to protect sensitive witness and victim information. The records would show testimony of witnesses and other evidence that was presented by prosecutions during the secret grand jury proceedings, when a panel decides whether there is enough evidence to bring an indictment, or a formal criminal charge.
The Hill
21 minutes ago
- The Hill
DOJ asks judge to unseal Epstein, Maxwell grand jury testimony
The Justice Department (DOJ) asked a federal court on Friday to unseal the grand jury transcripts in the Jeffrey Epstein case. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed two different, almost identical, motions to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to release the transcripts of the man convicted of sex-trafficking minors and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The motions state that even though the DOJ and FBI remain confident about the July memo, which indicated there was no evidence of a 'client' list and confirmed that Epstein died by suicide, the court should unseal the testimonies out of 'public interest.' The move comes amid furor over the release of the so-called Epstein files, particularly among some of Trump's staunchest supports. The DOJ will work to remove the names of potential victims and 'other personal identifying information' before the transcript is released, the motions state. It is rare for a grand jury transcript to be released due to sensitive information; however, it can be done if there is enough public demand. There is still no information on how long it will take the court to unseal the files. The DOJ has not immediately responded to requests for comment. On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal released a bombshell repor t about a letter President Trump reportedly sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday. The letter includes a drawn picture of a naked woman and the words 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.' Trump refuted the allegations and is now suing the reporters and the paper's owner Rupert Murdoch. Friday's motion comes after the president directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the 'pertinent grand jury testimony', in an attempt to calm criticism about the administration's handling of the case. 'Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!,' Trump posted on Truth Social. The administration in recent weeks has faced increased pressure from Republicans and Democrats alike to share more information about the case, prompting frustration from the president. 'I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Country's history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,' Trump posted on Truth Social. 'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats' work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!'
