A state judge ruled that taxpayers should not continue funding Andrew Cuomo’s civil litigation efforts to repair his public image while he campaigns for mayor. The judge found Cuomo provided no viable argument to justify continued taxpayer payment for discovery aimed at resurrecting his reputation. The ruling followed New York’s $450,000 settlement with ex-aide Brittany Commisso, who alleged sexual harassment and groping. Cuomo denied the allegations and resigned in 2021 after an attorney general report found he had sexually harassed at least 11 women. The judge allowed Commisso to drop the suit and denied Cuomo’s motion on the texts.
"Cuomo has not advanced any viable argument for why the taxpayers of this state should continue to foot the bill for his continued use of civil litigation discovery devices to further his efforts to resurrect his public image," state Supreme Court Justice Denise Hartman wrote in a decision posted online Monday. The decision comes more than a month after New York agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit from Brittany Commisso, an ex-aide who alleged Cuomo sexually harassed and groped her while he was in office. Cuomo, who has denied the allegations, resigned as governor in 2021 after a report from the state attorney general determined that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women.
Cuomo is running for mayor as a independent after losing the Democratic primary to Zohran Mamdani by more than 12 percentage points. With the race heating up this summer, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa has needled Cuomo over the sexual harassment allegations. And incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who also is running as an independent, recently placed whistles on reporters' chairs at a news conference. Adams explained they were for female reporters interviewing Cuomo, in case they needed to call for help.
#andrew-cuomo #brittany-commisso #sexual-harassment #taxpayer-funded-litigation #new-york-mayoral-race
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