Former NY governor Andrew Cuomo, who faced disgrace over allegations of sexual misconduct, is now facing a lawsuit for sexual assault from his former executive assistant, Brittany Commisso.
The lawsuit was filed just before the deadline for the Adult Survivors Act, as reported by the NY Post on Friday.
Commisso details sexual assault accusations against Andrew Cuomo, including ‘humiliating and demeaning tasks’
Commisso claims that Cuomo subjected her to “humiliating and demeaning tasks, hugs, kisses, sexual touching of the buttocks, and forcible touching of the breast.”
The married mother of one, who joined Cuomo’s team in 2017, had previously accused him of groping her within the Executive Mansion. This earlier accusation resulted in a misdemeanor criminal complaint being filed against the former governor.
In 2022, the Albany County district attorney decided to drop the criminal sexual assault case. Cuomo’s lawyer has not responded to a request for comment at this time.
2021 investigation findings against ex-NY governor confirms he harassed 11 women
In December 2020, Lindsey Boylan, a former aide, publicly accused Cuomo of sexual harassment “for years.” “I hate that some men, like [Cuomo] abuse their power,” she added, Al Jazeera reported.
Boylan later explained her accusations in a blog post, stating that Cuomo gave her an unsolicited kiss on the lips in his office and repeatedly made “degrading” sexual remarks.
In February, another former aide, Charlotte Bennett, accused him of sexual harassment. Though she did not claim any physical contact, she described “inappropriate” conversations initiated by Cuomo that involved questions about her personal life. Bennett characterized these conversations as the governor “grooming” her for a sexual relationship.
James, the state attorney general, appointed independent lawyers to investigate the allegations, and the report on their findings was released in August 2021.
In a news conference, James stated, “The probe found that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed current and former New York State employees by engaging in unwelcome and non-consensual touching and making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature that created a hostile work environment for women.”
She added, “The independent investigation found that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, many of whom were young women, by engaging in unwanted groping, kisses, hugging, and by making inappropriate comments.”
In total, 11 women accused the governor of harassment and described a “hostile and toxic work environment” to investigators.
Despite the allegations, Cuomo has consistently denied sexually harassing anyone.
“I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” Cuomo asserted after the attorney general’s report was released. “That is just not who I am.”
