New York state should pay former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s legal bills as he defends himself against a lawsuit accusing him of sexually harassing a state trooper, a judge ruled Friday.
Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Letitia James in August arguing that she violated state law by denying him public assistance for his defense. Cuomo said the trooper’s allegations stem from a time when “he was acting within the scope of his employment or duties.”
The unidentified trooper filed a lawsuit last year, asking a federal court to find that Cuomo and others violated her civil rights. She was on Cuomo’s security detail and had told investigators he allegedly subjected her to sexual remarks and on occasion ran his hand or fingers across her stomach and her back. The suit seeks damages for “severe mental anguish and emotional distress.”
