Latest news with #BrittanyCommisso
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
New York agrees to settle lawsuit with ex-aide who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment
The state of New York agreed Friday to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit from an ex-aide to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo who alleged Cuomo sexually harassed and groped her while he was in office. The former aide, Brittany Commisso, had sued Cuomo and the state, alleging sexual harassment from the then-governor and retaliation against her after reporting the incidents. The allegations were part of a barrage similar misconduct claims that forced Cuomo to resign as governor in 2021.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- 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. _____
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
New York settles lawsuit with ex-aide who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment
The state of New York agreed Friday to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit from an ex-aide to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo who alleged Cuomo sexually harassed and groped her while he was in office. The former aide, Brittany Commisso, had sued Cuomo and the state, alleging sexual harassment from the then-governor and retaliation against her after reporting the incidents. The allegations were part of a barrage similar misconduct claims that forced Cuomo to resign as governor in 2021. Commisso's lawyers said the settlement 'is a complete vindication of her claims' and that Commisso is "glad to be able to move forward with her life." The settlement came as Cuomo is in the midst of a so-far bruising political comeback with a run for mayor of New York City. Cuomo lost the Democratic primary last month to Zohran Mamdani by more than 12 percentage points and this week relaunched his campaign to run in the general election as an independent candidate, beginning a potentially uphill battle in a heavily Democratic city where support is coalescing behind Mamdani. Cuomo, who has denied wrongdoing, has been dogged by the scandal during his campaign for mayor. 'The settlement is not a vindication, it is capitulation to avoid the truth," Cuomo's lawyers said Friday in a statement in which they called Commisso's allegations 'false.' The attorneys, Rita Glavin and Theresa Trzaskoma, added that they 'oppose the dismissal of Ms. Commisso's lawsuit.' 'Until the truth is revealed, the lawsuit should not be dismissed,' they said in the statement. Cuomo resigned as governor after a report from the state attorney general determined that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women, with some alleging unwanted kissing and touching, as well as remarks about their appearances and sex lives. Commisso filed her lawsuit in late 2023, just before the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a special law that created a yearlong suspension of the usual time limit to sue over an alleged sexual assault. She later filed a criminal complaint accusing Cuomo of groping her but a local district attorney declined to prosecute, citing lack of sufficient evidence. The Associated Press doesn't identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Commisso has done. Anthony Hogrebe, a spokesperson for current Gov. Kathy Hochul, said Friday that the state "is pleased to have settled this matter in a way that allows us to minimize further costs to taxpayers.'
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
New York settles lawsuit with ex-aide who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment
The state of New York agreed Friday to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit from an ex-aide to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo who alleged Cuomo sexually harassed and groped her while he was in office. The former aide, Brittany Commisso, had sued Cuomo and the state, alleging sexual harassment from the then-governor and retaliation against her after reporting the incidents. The allegations were part of a barrage similar misconduct claims that forced Cuomo to resign as governor in 2021. Commisso's lawyers said the settlement 'is a complete vindication of her claims' and that Commisso is 'glad to be able to move forward with her life.' The settlement came as Cuomo is in the midst of a so-far bruising political comeback with a run for mayor of New York City. Cuomo lost the Democratic primary last month to Zohran Mamdani by more than 12 percentage points and this week relaunched his campaign to run in the general election as an independent candidate, beginning a potentially uphill battle in a heavily Democratic city where support is coalescing behind Mamdani. Cuomo, who has denied wrongdoing, has been dogged by the scandal during his campaign for mayor. 'The settlement is not a vindication, it is capitulation to avoid the truth,' Cuomo's lawyers said Friday in a statement in which they called Commisso's allegations 'false.' The attorneys, Rita Glavin and Theresa Trzaskoma, added that they 'oppose the dismissal of Ms. Commisso's lawsuit.' 'Until the truth is revealed, the lawsuit should not be dismissed,' they said in the statement. Cuomo resigned as governor after a report from the state attorney general determined that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women, with some alleging unwanted kissing and touching, as well as remarks about their appearances and sex lives. Commisso filed her lawsuit in late 2023, just before the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a special law that created a yearlong suspension of the usual time limit to sue over an alleged sexual assault. She later filed a criminal complaint accusing Cuomo of groping her but a local district attorney declined to prosecute, citing lack of sufficient evidence. The Associated Press doesn't identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Commisso has done. Anthony Hogrebe, a spokesperson for current Gov. Kathy Hochul, said Friday that the state 'is pleased to have settled this matter in a way that allows us to minimize further costs to taxpayers.'
New York Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
New York Agrees to Settle Ex-Cuomo Aide's Harassment Claims for $450,000
New York State has agreed to pay $450,000 to settle claims from a woman who accused Andrew M. Cuomo of groping her in 2020, when he was the governor and she was an executive aide, according to a settlement document reviewed by The New York Times. The settlement, with Brittany Commisso, is the second one the state has made this year in connection with Mr. Cuomo's treatment of women while in office. Mr. Cuomo resigned in 2021 amid accusations he harassed 11 women, including Ms. Commisso. He is now running for mayor of New York City. Under the terms of the agreement, which will need a judge's approval, Ms. Commisso would drop all claims against the state, including an accusation that she was retaliated against after coming forward about her experience. She also agreed not to seek employment with the executive chamber through 2030. The deal does not include any admission of wrongdoing on the part of the state or Mr. Cuomo. Mariann Wang, a lawyer for Ms. Commisso, called the settlement 'a complete vindication of her claims.' It is a blow to the former governor, who has been trying to reinvent himself as a friendly and trustworthy figure as he struggles to mount a political comeback. A representative for Mr. Cuomo, Rich Azzopardi, said that the state had agreed to settle the suit over Mr. Cuomo's objections. This week, Mr. Cuomo announced that he would continue his bid for mayor as an independent after losing the Democratic nomination to Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist from Queens. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
