A one-time aide to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose sexual harassment accusations prompted a damning outside investigation, has settled her lawsuit against New York state.
The state will pay Charlotte Bennett, a former secretary to the Democratic governor, $450,000 — of which $350,000 will go to her attorneys. She agreed not to seek future employment in the state’s Executive Chamber, which is the formal name for the governor’s office.
Bennett, now 29, was the second woman to publicly accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment in 2021. Her lawsuit settled Friday claimed that Cuomo asked inappropriate questions about her sex life and that the state mishandled a formal complaint she filed. The state admitted to no liability in the settlement.
Bennett in December dropped a separate lawsuit against Cuomo, who is now the leading candidate for New York City mayor. She said at the time that he employed aggressive legal defense tactics — including a subpoena seeking her gynecological records – that caused “extraordinary pain and expense” for her family.
Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said Friday that the state’s settlement effectively exonerated the 67-year-old former governor. Cuomo has previously filed notice to pursue a defamation claim against Bennett.
“If anyone ever questioned whether this situation was political from the start, today’s taxpayer-funded nuisance settlement is proof positive,” Azzopardi said. He said Bennett wasn’t deposed in either of her lawsuits.
In a statement, Bennett’s attorney Debra Katz said her client looked forward to moving on with her life. Katz previously said the defamation case from Cuomo has no merit.
Bennett’s claims in 2021 prompted the former governor to request Attorney General Letitia James conduct an outside investigation into his conduct.
James’ report concluded that Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women, including state employees such as Bennett. Democrats, including then-President Joe Biden, called on Cuomo to step down, and he announced his resignation seven days later.
Cuomo, who endorsed James as AG in 2018, has repeatedly said her report was politically motivated. He at first apologized for making women uncomfortable with his conduct, but he denies sexually harassing anybody.
Two other women have active lawsuits against Cuomo. One was an unnamed State Police officer who was on the former governor's protection detail and said Cuomo made sexually suggestive comments and ran his hand across her stomach without her consent.
Another woman, Brittany Commisso, has accused Cuomo of groping her in the governor's mansion while she was working as one of his executive assistants. Cuomo has repeatedly denied the allegation, and Albany County prosecutors dropped a criminal case related to the claim.
New York taxpayers have covered Cuomo’s legal defense bills since the sexual harassment allegations against him broke into the public in 2021. Taxpayers have spent around $18 million on a trio of lawsuits against Cuomo, according to the state comptroller’s office. Separately, records show the state signed a $2.5 million contract with the law firm Morgan, Lewis and Bockius to defend the Executive Chamber against Bennett’s claims.
“This settlement was mutually agreed upon by the parties and allows the State to minimize further cost to the taxpayers,” said Avi Small, a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul.
