A former employee who accused ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment has dropped her federal lawsuit against him, according to court records.
On Monday, December 9, a voluntary termination without prejudice was filed by lawyers for Charlotte Bennett, who filed suit against her former boss in 2022.
Bennet dropped her lawsuit on the eve of her deposition, Bennett’s attorney, Debra Katz of Katz Banks Kumin, wrote in a edition.
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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo prepares to board a helicopter after announcing his resignation on August 10, 2021 in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, file)
Richard Azzopardi, a representative of Cuomo, praised Bennett’s decision, saying her claims have “slandered the former governor for years.”
“Ms. Bennett’s decision to drop her baseless lawsuit should be viewed as a complete capitulation and a desperate attempt to avoid being confronted with the mountains of exculpatory discoveries — including contemporaneous texts and videos that the AG’s office never released obtained – which completely refute her claims against Governor Cuomo,” he said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“After years of falsely smearing Governor Cuomo, 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 that her claims had no merit,” he said . “If New York State gives in to its public pressure campaign and settles, it will not be on the merits and should require the public release of all evidence so that New Yorkers finally know the truth: Governor Cuomo has never sexually harassed anyone.”
Charlotte Bennett, a former health policy aide to former Governor Andrew Cuomo, pauses during an interview in New York on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
In a statement posted on their websiteBennett’s attorneys said they chose to dismiss the case to end Cuomo’s continued harassment of their client.
“Mr. Cuomo has used this legal process to punish Ms. Bennett and others who reported his sexual harassmentand to inflict further harm on her, all at the expense of New York taxpayers,” Katz wrote. “Thus, by dismissing the federal case, we hope that our client will be able to resolve this dispute and ultimately be made whole for all damages. Mr. Cuomo and his agents caused her.”
Her lawyers said Bennett will continue to “seek justice” with a lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court against the state of New York.
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“On behalf of Ms. Bennett, and in support of all who have experienced sexual harassment by powerful men like former Governor Cuomo, we will continue to seek justice in our action against the State of New York…” Katz said. “Thus, by dismissing the federal case, we hope that our client will be able to resolve this dispute and finally be healed for all the harm that Mr. Cuomo and his agents have caused her.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo arrives to depart in his helicopter after announcing his resignation in Manhattan, New York City, USA, August 10, 2021. (REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo)
Bennett said in the lawsuit that Cuomo “subjected her to sexualized comments about her appearance” and “assigned her demeaning and humiliating tasks.”
She also said the former governor allegedly “subjected her to invasive and unwanted questions about her personal life, romantic and sexual relationships, and history as a survivor of sexual assault.”
On Bennett’s first full day on the job on May 16, 2019, the lawsuit alleged that Cuomo “called her into his office” and asked a series of questions, which ultimately related to personal relationships. Cuomo reportedly asked the new employee if she currently has a boyfriend and how tall her longest is romantic relationship.
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Bennett’s lawsuit describes the questions as “inappropriate” and said they made her “uncomfortable.”
After Cuomo reportedly asked Bennett to travel with him, he allegedly asked her a series of questions about her personal life, to which she responded “weightlifting, skiing and running.”
Cuomo then allegedly asked how much weight Bennett could bench press and how many push-ups she could do. He then challenged her to a “push-up competition,” the lawsuit alleges.
Bennett also claims Cuomo made “sexual advances” toward her, citing a June 25, 2020 incident.
She said in the lawsuit that while Cuomo was discussing a proposal on police reform, he said the way Charlotte’s mask moved in and out as she breathed reminded him of the monsters in “Predator,” the movie.
The lawsuit states that Cuomo allegedly followed up by saying, “If I were to be investigated for sexual harassment, I would have to say I told her she looked like a monster.”
She claims in the lawsuit that former Chief of Staff Jill DesRosiers; former secretary Melissa DeRosa; and Special Prosecutor Judith Mogul all “aided and abetted” the sexual harassment.
When Bennett reported Cuomo’s alleged sexual harassment to DesRosiers, the lawsuit claims she was reassigned to an “inferior position” on the Executive Chamber’s health policy team.
The lawsuit also alleges that Cuomo “began a campaign to publicly sow doubt” about the allegations made by Bennett and other women after they cooperated with state Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation.
According to the lawsuit, Bennett experiences ‘almost debilitating fear,symptoms of depression, and began suffering from a “chronic neurological condition” due to what she said was a “direct result” of Cuomo’s alleged harassment.
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Bennett said in a statement that her career as a public servant was affected by Cuomo’s alleged sexual harassment.
“My career as a public servant was abruptly cut short due to Governor Cuomo and his top aides’ sexual harassment and retaliation against me after I complained about Governor Cuomo’s misconduct. They must all be held accountable for their actions,” Bennett said.
