Former staffer sues Andrew Cuomo, claiming sexual harassment, retaliation

The former staffer who accused former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) of groping her in 2021 filed a suit against the former governor under the Adult Survivors Act this week. 

Brittany Commisso claimed the governor groped her in 2020 and then retaliated against her when she later refused to perform sex acts and reported him for sexual harassment.

Cuomo resigned from office in 2021 after nearly a dozen women accused him of sexual harassment and he faced a potential impeachment probe. He has denied all allegations against him.

Commisso recalled the 2020 groping incident in a CBS interview in 2021. She said Cuomo shut the door to a room in the Governor’s Mansion and “put his hand up my blouse and cupped my breast over my bra.”

“I exactly remember looking down, seeing his hand, which is a large hand, thinking to myself, ‘Oh, my God. This is happening,’” she said. “It happened so quick, he didn’t say anything. When I stopped it, he just pulled away and walked away.”

Prosecutors investigated Commisso‘s claims in 2022 but declined to pursue charges against the former governor. Charges filed against Cuomo over the incident were dismissed.

“While we found the complainant in this case cooperative and credible, after review of all the available evidence we have concluded that we cannot meet our burden at trial,” District Attorney David Soares said.

Cuomo’s attorney, Rita Glavin, vehemently denied the allegations Friday and vowed to fight them in court.

“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,” she said in a statement to The Hill. “Ms. Commisso’s transparent attempt at a cash grab will fail. We look forward to seeing her in court.”

The New York Adult Survivors Act allows victims of sexual assault and harassment to sue their alleged abusers in civil court with no statute of limitations. The act, passed in 2022, paved the way for cases against Bill Cosby, former President Trump, Sean “Diddy” Combs and other notable figures.

More than 2,500 lawsuits have been filed so far under the law, which created a yearlong suspension of the usual time limit to sue over an alleged sexual assault. That suspension ends Friday.