A former state employee who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment secured a $ 450,000 agreement, with taxpayers ready to pay the massive bill as the former governor makes a mayor of the offer city.
Charlotte Bennett, former assistant of Cuomo when he was governor, on official Friday ended his lawsuit against the state of the empire.
It is scheduled to receive $ 100,000 personnel with another $ 350,000 for their lawyers and legal costs, all of which will be disbursed by the State.
As of March, taxpayers had disbursed almost $ 60 million in legal costs to defend themselves against several scandals that entangled the administration of Cuomo, cord about a report from the State Comptroller’s office.
Defend Cuomo and the State against Bennett’s statements alone cost the citizens $ 9 million.
Bennett, now 29 years old, was the second woman after former government assistant Lindsey Boylan, publicly accusing the democrat three times chosen of sexual harassment in 2021.
She filed a lawsuit against the State in March 2023, claiming that she did not act to address her complaint that Cuomo submitted her to degrade sexual harassment at work and accused her of lying when she presented the accusations.
As part of the agreement, Bennet – worked as the main assistant and health policy advisor of Cuomo between May 2019 and June 2020, agreed not to look for more employment in the State Executive Chamber.
The State did not possess any irritation, or responsibility, in the agreement, in accordance with a copy of the Agreement regarding the position.
“This agreement was mutually egg in the parties and allows the state to minimize an additional cost for taxpayers,” said Avi Small, spokesman for Governor Kathy Hochul, in a statement.
Bennett’s lawyer, Debra Katz, said his client’s accusations were backed by the findings of the New York Attorney General Letitia James and the United States Department of Justice.
“Mrs. Bennett hopes to move forward with her life,” Katz said.
But Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi promoted the agreement as claim for the former governor.
“If someone ever questioned whether the situation was political from the beginning, the discomfort agreement financed by today’s taxpayers is a positive evidence,” he said.
Cuomo in December filed a notice that he would sue Bennett for defamation. That case is still pending, but a civil complaint, which details its accusations, has not yet been presented in the case.
Bennett Initial filed a federal lawsuit in September 2022 against Cuomo, his main lieutenant Melissa Derosa and two other aid, but left that case in December only a few days before she was willing to give a affidavit about her claims.
Bennett said at that time that Cuomo, 67, used the funds of the “unlimited” taxpayers at his disposal so that his legal defense would attack her, making her feel that she would be “better dead than to endure more of this abuse of litigation.”
“After spending over $ 2.5 million in taxpayer dollars defending the state Sexment of the Sexment of the Sexment of the Sexment of the Sexment of the Sexment of the Sexment of the Sexment, Founder or the Sexment, founder, founder, legislative employee.
“No amount of money can compensate for the trauma that Charlotte endured, and this unnecessary prolongation of legal processing could be easily notified.”
Both in the case against the State and its federal lawsuit by appointing Cuomo, Bennett’s statements remained the same. She claimed that Cuomo made inappropriate comments to her and that Derosa and other employees tried to sweep the accusations under her back by transferring it to a lower position.
Duration on June 5, 2020, a meeting at the Governor Cuomo’s office allegedly mocked injuring COVID-19 duration, saying that when he breathed he reminded the monsters in the film “Predator”, his demand said
She “laughed uncomfortable,” before he responded prophetically: “If they investigated me for sexual harassment, I would have to tell him that I looked like a monster,” the demand alleged.
Bennett also said that Cuomo asked him invasive questions about his sex life and told him that he was “alone” and that he was willing to go out with someone around 21, alleged the demand. I was 25 years old at that time.
Cuomo resigned in August 2021 amid the sexual harassment scandal and states that his office hid the true number of deaths of nursing homes by the duration of the pandemic.
His resignation occurred two weeks after a report from the Attorney General’s office discovered that he had sexually harassed 11 women and created a hostile work environment in his office; Federal prosecutors supported a finding later.
Cuomo has vehemently maintained his innocence.
Other demands filed on sexual harassment statements include one of a state soldier who accused Cuomo Oa groads. That legal battle has cost $ 8.6 million so far, according to the Tom Dinapoli commitment office.
Another $ 11.7 million have been spent in state investigations, in the management of Cuomo of the Covid Pandemia and its notorious agreement of pandemic books of $ 5 million, as well as to cover the cost of defending it in the impulse processes.
The former Brittany Assistant Executive Commission, who is also accused of Cuomo or the Globe, also has a case against the former Gov that is still pending in the State Court.
Boylan, who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment in December 2020, praised the fact that Bennett would receive some reward.
“I am slippery, the state finally did what Andrew Cuomo will not do it: accepting responsibility for the damage that his harassment caused to Charlotte. Proud of his courage always,” he said Friday.
– Additional reports from Craig McCarthy
