New York State agrees to settlement with woman who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment
New York State agreed to pay Brittney Commisso nearly a half million dollars
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York State agreed Friday to pay Brittney Commisso nearly a half million dollars to settle her claims that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed her.
Commisso accused Cuomo of "continuous sexual harassment" and retaliation, which the former governor has long denied.
Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 as a cascade of women accused him of sexual misconduct, which he denied. Cuomo is now running for mayor of New York City.
Lawyers for Commisso released a statement in response to the settlement.
"The State's settlement with Ms. Commisso, at nearly half a million dollars, is a complete vindication of her claims, just as the repeated findings made by the Attorney General, the State Assembly and the US Department of Justice were. Those three independent investigations all found that Cuomo subjected Ms. Commisso to unwanted sexual harassment and groping when she worked for him as an assistant," the statement said. "Ms. Commisso is proud to have reported the truth and vindicated her rights in court, and likewise glad to be able to move forward with her life."
Lawyers for Cuomo criticized the settlement between the state and Commisso, and said it "expressly does not include any admission of liability."
"We oppose the dismissal of Ms. Commisso's lawsuit because it is in the public interest for the public to see the evidence that New York taxpayers paid to obtain. Until the truth is revealed, the lawsuit should not be dismissed," the statement said in part.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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