17 February 2022: First Civil Lawsuit Filed by Alleged Cuomo Sexual Harassment Victim

State trooper sues former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, claiming discrimination and retaliation

This report confirms the first civil lawsuit targeting Andrew M. Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment. Here's the introduction to the report:

A New York State trooper is suing former Governor Andrew Cuomo, claiming discrimination on the basis of sex and retaliation, according to court documents filed on Thursday. The New York State Police and Cuomo's former top aide Melissa DeRosa are also named in the lawsuit, which alleges that the governor sexually harassed the trooper over several years.

In the lawsuit, the trooper says Cuomo requested she be a part of the Protective Service Unit — his security detail — after they had met for just a minute and despite the fact that she was under-qualified for the position.

He then allegedly harassed her, commenting on her appearance, steering their conversations towards sex, telling her not to inform her colleagues about the nature of their conversations and, in one instance, "asking her to find him a girlfriend who could 'handle pain.'" The trooper also claims that the former governor inappropriately touched her, running a finger down her spine and saying, "Hey you."

Allegations from the trooper were also included in the investigation released in August by New York Attorney General Letitia James, which found that Cuomo "sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law," James said. Cuomo announced his resignation a week later.

Cuomo resigned in disgrace as New York governor to avoid being impeached over allegations involving his sexual harassment of multiple women.

The report shares this tidbit from Cuomo's PR team, proving once again why Cuomo needs better PR people:

In a statement to CBS News, Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, said the lawsuit relies on James' "fraud of a report" and that the law firm representing the trooper is "widely known to use the press to extort settlements on behalf of 'anonymous claimants.'"

Comments like that will mean Cuomo will be writing larger settlement checks requiring extra commas and zeroes.