Andrew Cuomo accused of sexual harassment by former aide in new lawsuit

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is being sued by a former aide who says Cuomo sexually harassed her while he was still in office.

Cuomo’s former executive assistant Brittany Commisso filed the case against the ex-governor in state Supreme Court in Albany on Wednesday. The filing, a three-page summons, came just before the expiration for lawsuits under the Adult Survivors Act, a special law which gave victims of sexual abuse a one-year window for claims that would otherwise be barred by time limits.

Commisso was one of at least 11 women who accused Cuomo of sexual misconduct, leading to his abrupt 2021 resignation in a #MeToo-era scandal that marked a severe fall from grace for the Democrat. He has denied the allegations.

Commisso’s lawsuit alleges sexual harassment and unwanted touching from Cuomo and said she was punished for reporting the incidents. The case seeks monetary damages. Her allegations led to a criminal charge against Cuomo that was eventually dismissed last year at the request of a county prosecutor who described her as credible but said he couldn’t prove the case.

Cuomo attorney Rita M. Glavin blasted the latest filing.

“Ms. Commisso’s claims are provably false, which is why the Albany County District Attorney dismissed the case two years ago after a thorough investigation. Ms. Commisso’s transparent attempt at a cash grab will fail. We look forward to seeing her in court,” Glavin said in a statement.

The Adult Survivors Act has cleared the way for a wave of lawsuits against famous men accused of sexual misconduct, with a slew of cases coming in the final weeks before it was set to expire. Over the past year, it has led to more than 2,500 lawsuits, including cases against former President Donald Trump, hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and comedian and actor Russell Brand.

The Associated Press doesn’t identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Commisso has done in interviews.