Latest news with #vindication
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- 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. _____
Daily Mail
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Now it's Blake Lively's turn to squirm as compromising video resurfaces... and case against Justin Baldoni hits new snags
It's the twist nobody saw coming: Blake Lively claiming total 'vindication' after a New York judge sensationally tossed the defamation part of 's $400m countersuit against the actress and her husband . But the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal the 'total victory' that Lively's legal team claimed is not as clear cut as it may seem.
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Now it's Blake Lively's turn to squirm as incriminating video resurfaces... and case against Justin Baldoni hits new snags
It's the twist nobody saw coming: Blake Lively claiming total 'vindication' after a New York judge sensationally tossed the defamation part of 's $400m countersuit against the actress and her husband . But the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal the 'total victory' that Lively's legal team claimed is not as clear cut as it may seem.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- The Independent
National Black Police Association chief ‘vindicated' over social media post
The head of the National Black Police Association has been 'vindicated' following an investigation into a social media post. Andy George was placed under investigation following a post on X about a police officer in London who was cleared of murder in 2024, and following his acquittal was promoted. He made a comment about the 'disproportionate number of black officers under investigation for misconduct and being held back in their own careers'. On Wednesday, Police Service of Northern Ireland deputy chief constable Bobby Singleton said a investigation was started after an 'outside remit' referral from the Office of the Police Ombudsman. He said an internal misconduct investigation 'has now concluded determining there was no misconduct in this case'. Mr George's solicitor Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, confirmed he had been informed that PSNI internal misconduct proceedings have concluded there was no misconduct. 'We are pleased to see vindication for our client in this determination,' he said. 'However we are disappointed to note that he will be the subject of so called 'management action' meaning he will have a conversation with his line manager. 'That discussion will include the issue of the posting allegedly stirring up division. 'We don't think that is a proportionate out-working to the nature of the complaint made here. 'He absolutely rejects any such allegation. For now Mr George is satisfied that he has been exonerated.' In a statement, Mr Singleton said police officers, like all citizens, have the right to freedom of speech but it is recognised that for police officers that must be limited 'owing to the unique role with which we are entrusted in society and the need to maintain public confidence, impartiality and professional standards'. 'Cases which require an assessment of the balance between the rights of the individual and the limitations placed on police officers will almost inevitably always require at least some degree of investigation and objective assessment,' he said. 'Importantly, commencement of an investigation is not a final determination as to whether there has or hasn't been misconduct. 'It is simply the start of due process. All referrals from the Office of the Police Ombudsman that originate from a member of the public are required to be reviewed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland – that obligation extends to complaints relating to officers located in Northern Ireland and those officers that are seconded to other police forces under the direction of the Chief Constable.'
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Clayton Echard tells all: How my one night with a media legend's daughter turned into the nightmare EVERY bachelor fears
Clayton Echard is revealing his intense relief at a prosecutor's decision to slap felony charges on a woman who falsely claimed he had made her pregnant. The 6′ 5″ Bachelor hunk tells Daily Mail he is 'elated' and feels 'vindicated' after an Arizona judge announced Laura Owens - who claimed she later had a miscarriage - had tried to extort child support.
