A former staffer who accused ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment has withdrawn her federal lawsuit against him, according to court records.
A voluntary notice of dismissal without prejudice was filed on Monday, Dec. 9 by attorneys for Charlotte Bennett, who filed suit against her onetime 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 release.
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo prepares to board a helicopter after announcing his resignation, Aug. 10, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Richard Azzopardi, a rep for Cuomo, praised Bennett’s decision, saying that her claims “falsely smeared” 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 discovery – including contemporaneous texts and videos that the AG’s office never obtained – that completely refute her claims against Governor Cuomo,” he said, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“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,” he said. “If New York State does give in to her public pressure campaign and settles, it will not be on the merits and should require the public release of all the evidence so that New Yorkers finally know the truth: Governor Cuomo never sexually harassed anyone.”
Charlotte Bennett, a former health policy aide to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, pauses during an interview in New York on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
In a statement posted on their website, Bennett’s attorneys said they opted to dismiss the case to end Cuomo’s continued harassment of their client.
“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. “In dismissing the federal case we thus hope that our client will be able to resolve this dispute and finally be made whole for all the damage Mr. Cuomo and his agents caused her.”
Her attorneys said that Bennett will continue “seeking justice” with a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit against New York State.
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“On behalf of Ms. Bennett, and in support of all who have faced 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. “In dismissing the federal case we thus hope that our client will be able to resolve this dispute and finally be made whole for all the damage Mr. Cuomo and his agents caused her.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo arrives to depart in his helicopter after announcing his resignation in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., 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 humiliating and demeaning 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 of her job on May 16, 2019, the lawsuit alleged that Cuomo “called her into his office” and asked a series of questions, which eventually pertained to personal relationships. Cuomo allegedly asked the new employee if she currently had a boyfriend and inquired about the length of her longest romantic relationship.
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Bennett’s lawsuit describes the questions as both “inappropriate” and said they made her “uncomfortable.”
After Cuomo allegedly asked Bennett to begin traveling with him, he allegedly asked her a series of questions about her personal life, to which she responded “weightlifting, skiing, and running.”
Cuomo allegedly then asked how much weight Bennett could bench press as well as how many pushups she had the ability to do. He then challenged her to a “pushup competition,” the lawsuit alleges.
Bennett also alleges Cuomo made “sexual advances” toward her, and cited a June 25, 2020, incident.
She said in the lawsuit that while Cuomo was discussing a proposal on police reform, he said that the way Charlotte’s mask moved in and out when she breathes reminded him of the monsters in “Predator,” the movie.
The lawsuit states that Cuomo allegedly followed-up by saying “If I were investigated for sexual harassment, I would have to say I told her she looked like a monster.”
She alleges in the lawsuit that former Chief of Staff Jill DesRosiers; former Secretary Melissa DeRosa; and Special Counsel Judith Mogul all “aided and abetted” the sexual harassment.
When Bennett reported Cuomo’s alleged sexual harassment to DesRosiers, the lawsuit alleges that she was transferred to an “inferior position” on the Executive Chamber’s health policy team.
The lawsuit also alleges that Cuomo “embarked on a campaign to publicly cast doubt” on the allegations brought by Bennett and other women after they cooperated with the probe by state Attorney General Letitia James.
Bennett, according to the lawsuit, experiences “near debilitating anxiety,” symptoms of depression, and began suffering from a “chronic neurological disorder” over what she says 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 impacted due to Cuomo’s alleged sexual harassment.
“My career as a public servant was abruptly cut short because of Governor Cuomo’s 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.
