Charlotte Bennett, a former aide who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, has dropped her federal lawsuit against the ex-governor. The lawsuit's withdrawal comes amid allegations of Cuomo using aggressive defense tactics; in a statement, Bennett criticized the former governor for what she described as an attempt to "humiliate" her through "invasive" demands for personal information, including medical records, according to Gothamist.
Despite Bennett's decision to drop her lawsuit just before a scheduled deposition, Cuomo's defense team branded the move as "a complete capitulation," accusing her of trying to avoid testifying under oath, "After falsely smearing Governor Cuomo for years, Ms. Bennett suddenly withdrew her federal lawsuit on the eve of her deposition to avoid having to admit under oath that her allegations were false, and her claims had no merit," Richard Azzopardi, a representative for Cuomo, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
This lawsuit, initially filed in 2022, was based on allegations of Cuomo's behavior during Bennett's time as his 25-year-old staffer, where she claimed he inquired about her sex life and expressed interest in women over 21, which the former governor has repeatedly denied. While Bennett has moved away from this legal battle, her attorney Debra Katz said in a statement that her client will continue to pursue damages from the State of New York in a separate lawsuit filed in state court.
The fiscal implications of Cuomo's legal defense, which is funded by the state due to New York law, have stirred controversy, resulting in over $25 million in costs for a variety of cases, including Bennett's lawsuit, "Mr. Cuomo has used these legal proceedings to punish Ms. Bennett and others who reported his sexual harassment, and to cause more harm to her, all at the expense of New York taxpayers," Katz wrote, highlighting the burden on public funds as reported by Gothamist.
While the federal case against Cuomo has concluded with this dismissal, he still faces lawsuits from two other women: Brittany Commisso, who alleges Cuomo groped her, and an anonymous state trooper accusing him of inappropriate comments and touching, claims he continues to reject and contest in court.
