New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) former adviser, Adam Sullivan, faced sexual harassment complaints from colleagues at the Democratic advocacy group he’d previously worked at, according to a new report.
The New York Times reported Sullivan was fired by the Hub Project after a human resources specialist found sexual harassment claims against him credible. He started running Hochul’s campaign for re-election as New York’s lieutenant governor less than a year later.
Sullivan had helped Hochul on an earlier campaign, the Times reports, and she’d recommended him for the Hub Project role.
In 2021, Hochul became the first female governor of New York, taking over for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) — who resigned after an investigation found he sexually harassed several women, including some who worked in his office.
Hochul pitched herself as a fresh start after Cuomo’s exit and said her day-one goal was to “change a culture of harassment and abuse, and ensure safe, respectful workplaces. ”
The governor reportedly broke ties with Sullivan after an April article from the Times detailed Sullivan’s poor treatment of some staff during Hochul’s 2022 campaign. The report notes it’s not clear whether Hochul knew about the allegations against Sullivan during his time at the Hub Project.