A federal judge on Friday axed a retaliation claim against Andrew Cuomo in the high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit leveled by a state trooper who contends the former New York governor groped her.
But the key sexual harassment claim by the woman known as “Trooper 1” against Cuomo remained untouched in the partial dismissal by Brooklyn federal Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall.
Trooper 1’s attorney, Valdi Licul, said separate federal retaliation claims against Cuomo remain pending.
“With all due respect to the court, today’s decision sets a dangerous precedent,” Licul said in a statement. “It permits sexual harassers and their enablers who resign in disgrace to retaliate against their victims without any legal consequences.”
“It should not go unnoticed that the sexual harassment claims against Mr. Cuomo and the New York State Police will proceed.”
Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 after a bombshell probe by Attorney General Letitia James found he sexually harassed multiple women, including Trooper 1.
He has denied the accusations and faces a July 19 deadline to answer the latest version of Trooper 1’s complaint, records show.
“The AG’s report was nothing more than a political hatchet job lacking legal merit,” said Rita Glavin, Cuomo’s attorney, in a statement.
“While politics and a reckless media mob carried the day in 2021, truth and the rule of law will ultimately prevail.”
Trooper 1 contended that Cuomo, among other misbehavior, touched her stomach and back as well as kissed her on the cheek in 2019 while she was on duty.
She also allegedly that Cuomo and two of his top deputies — former chief of staff Melissa DeRosa and spokesman Rich Azzopardi — retaliated against her for coming forward.
The judge threw out the retaliation claims against Cuomo based on city and state human rights laws because the alleged reprisal unfolded after the governor resigned, according to court documents.
Hall previously dismissed retaliation claims against DeRosa and Azzopardi in September, records show.
“This decision confirms what we said all along: Trooper #1’s complaint was a gross abuse of the court system and a transparent attempt to weaponize the Attorney General’s sham report for her own personal financial gain,” the pair said in a joint statement.
“These efforts have failed. We believe that Judge Hall’s opinion demonstrates that Trooper #1’s claims were frivolous and, as such, we are considering our legal options.”
