Andrew Cuomo Sued by Alleged Sexual Harassment Victim After Filling Ethics Complaint Against AG Letitia James
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ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty; David Dee Delgado/Getty
A whistleblower and former aide is suing former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation. The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, comes a day after Cuomo filed an ethics complaint against Attorney General Letitia James.
In the lawsuit against Cuomo, Charlotte Bennett, who worked as briefer and executive assistant for the governor from May 2019 to June 2020, claims Cuomo "subjected her sexualized comments about her appearance, assigned her humiliating and demeaning tasks, and beginning of June 2020, subjected her to invasive and unwanted questions about her personal life, romantic and sexual relationships."
Details of Bennett's response to the "sexual advances" by Cuomo are detailed in the 60-page lawsuit, including the alleged retaliation imposed on her after reporting the instances to defendant Jill DesRosiers.
"My career as a public servant was abruptly cut short because of Governor Cuomo's and his top aides' sexual harassment and retaliation against me," Bennett said in a statement through her lawyers. "They must all be held accountable for their actions."
On Tuesday, the former governor filed an ethics complaint against James. The 48-page document accuses James, who is referred to as AG James, and outside investigation lawyers Joon H. Kim and Anne L. Clark, of "professional misconduct."
"AG James cynically manipulated a legal process for personal, political gain," the complaint states, linking to James' brief run for governor after Cuomo's resignation. "AG James purposefully inserted herself in an investigation which posed a clear conflict of interest and then misled the public to create a political situation forcing my resignation."
Cuomo, 64, resigned in August 2021 following a bombshell report by James, which concluded that the governor "sexually harassed multiple women" and, in doing so, "violated federal and state law."
Tuesday's complaint was filed with a committee in the Attorney Grievance Committee which is tasked with disciplining lawyers found to have violated professional conduct rules, The New York Times reported.
As for the possible outcomes a complaint like this could make, the committee could dismiss the complaint due to insufficient evidence, they could investigate the charges or even initiate disciplinary proceedings, the outlet reported. Disciplinary actions could range from a confidential or public letter of admonishment to censure, disbarment or suspension from practicing law.
In the lengthy complaint, Cuomo quotes James herself with her phrase "No matter who you are, no one is above the law." He continued, "AG James is subject to the same duties and rules of conduct as any other lawyer, as, as the chief legal officer of this state, she has a unique responsibility to act only in the public interest and not to mislead the public. She must be held accountable for her misconduct."
"Attorney General James, Joon Kim, and Anne Clark hold themselves to the highest ethical standards," a spokesperson for the attorney general's office told PEOPLE. "Mr. Cuomo resigned after an independent investigation revealed that he preyed on multiple women who worked for him. New Yorkers are ready to move forward and close this sordid chapter in our state's history."
Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images Andrew Cuomo
Last month, Cuomo filed a lawsuit against James that questions her decision to deny his request for state representation or taxpayer-funded private legal counsel in an action against him in April, Politico reported.
The plaintiff in the case, known as Trooper 1, was one of the 11 women who James' report said were sexually harassed by Cuomo.
"James's denial of Governor Cuomo's request for counsel was arbitrary, capricious, contrary to the plain text of the statute, biased, personally and politically conflicted," detailed the lawsuit.
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As a response, James made a statement stating, "New Yorkers shouldn't have to pay Andrew Cuomo's legal bills." The statement continued: "Andrew Cuomo is trying to force New Yorkers to pay his legal bills because he believes sexual harassment was within his 'scope of employment' as governor."
James' statement added, "Sexually harassing young women who work for you is not part of anyone's job description. Taxpayers should not have to pony up for legal bills that could reach millions of dollars so Mr. Cuomo's lawyer can attack survivors of abuse."
New Yorkers shouldn't have to pay for Andrew Cuomo’s legal bills.
Sexual harassment isn't one of your official responsibilities as governor. pic.twitter.com/5ug4Zw0FKV— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) August 11, 2022
RELATED: Ethics Panel Rules Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Must Return $5 Million Book Payment
In addition to the lawsuits, Cuomo has been making a public effort to repair his image.
In August, New York Daily News issued an opinion article with an interview with the former governor which raised questions about the claims made against him. "I believe the governor's resignation may eventually be seen as a case of #MeToo excess rather than success," the article stated.
Since then, Cuomo has also spent $60,000 in the last month promoting the article through Facebook ads, The New York Times reported.
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Last month, Cuomo won a lengthy court battle involving the $5.1 million he received for writing his COVID-19 memoir, titled American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic.
In December, he was ordered to surrender the amount, but April's proceedings stated that the Albany County court overstepped its authority and he would no longer be required to pay, New York Post reported.
Cuomo also spent millions on television ads earlier this year with the goal of rehabilitating his image, The Times reported.
