Cuomo Demands Accuser Interviews in Lawsuit Against New York AG

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sued the state’s attorney general, demanding she turn over the interviews behind the damning report on alleged sexual harassment that led to his 2021 resignation.

Cuomo claims in the lawsuit, filed Thursday in New York state court, that Attorney General Letitia James has repeatedly refused to turn over the materials despite a pledge that all the evidence used to create the report would be made public.

Andrew Cuomo

Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg

He says he needs the documents to defend himself against lawsuits by Charlotte Bennett, a former aide who told investigators he harassed her, and by an accuser referred to as Trooper 1 in the AG’s report.

A spokesperson for James didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment on the suit.

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Cuomo, who Bloomberg has reported may run for New York City mayor in 2025 if Eric Adams doesn’t seek re-election, also challenged what he called the AG’s slow response to his freedom-of-information requests to access the material. He said the lag was hindering his defense and denying him the chance to challenge the veracity of the report.

“The report was a one-sided, deeply flawed ambush of Governor Cuomo, who denies having sexually harassed anyone,” according to the lawsuit, which says it “ignored material evidence that undermined the allegations and credibility of complainants.”

Cuomo, 66, has long attacked the report as a political hatchet job by James, who briefly ran for governor. Both are Democrats.

The case is: In the matter of the application of Andrew M. Cuomo, 150515/2024, New York State Supreme Court, New York County (Manhattan).

--With assistance from Laura Nahmias.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Greg Farrell in New York at gregfarrell@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou at megkolfopoul@bloomberg.net

Peter Jeffrey

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