Andrew Cuomo sexual harassment accusers call for end to his taxpayer-funded legal defense after NYC mayoral primary defeat
ALBANY – Dime's up.
Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment accusers called on state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to cut off the former governor's taxpayer-fueled legal defense fund Thursday after his Big Apple mayoral run bellyflopped.
The accused sex pest, who resigned as governor in 2021 while facing misconduct allegations from over a dozen women, has since received a whopping $60 million from taxpayers while battling scandals that ensnared his administration.
Andrew Cuomo conceded defeat in the New York City Democratic primary for mayor Tuesday night.
Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post
Roughly $18 million of that largesse went toward the three-term Democratic governor aggressively defending himself against the women who accused him of sexual harassment.
'Survivors and whistleblowers shouldn't have to live in fear of being dragged through the legal system simply for telling the truth,' said Erica Vladimer, founding director of the group Harassment-Free Albany.
Vladimer was joined via Zoom by some of the former state staffers who spoke out against Cuomo, including Charlotte Bennett, an ex-aide who had sued over alleged sexual harassment.
'It has been an excruciating time and the joy of the outcome on Tuesday was quickly followed by fear of what the next piece of this means for me,' Bennett, who supported Cuomo's main opponent Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary, said while holding back tears.
Cuomo in April filed and renewed a notice of claim that he intended to pursue a defamation lawsuit against Bennett — in what she alleged was a deliberate effort to keep her quiet during the primary race.
'I don't feel like I've been able to respond to his narrative,' Bennett said.
Cuomo, who has denied the allegations, went on the offensive against Bennett after she dropped her federal lawsuit against him late last year, shortly before she was expected to be deposed in the case.
Cuomo's lawyers filed a notice of claim that he intends to sue Bennett for defamation in December.
AP
Bennett, fellow Cuomo accuser Lindsey Boylan and Vladimer called for DiNapoli to seriously scrutinize the legal bills that the former governor has been submitting for reimbursement.
They also urged state lawmakers to pass the Speak Your Truth Act, a piece of legislation to protect survivors from excessive harassment by their accusers through the legal system.
A spokesperson for Cuomo — who was bested by Mamdani in the primary election Tuesday — slammed the claims as 'false accusations.'
'People have a right to defend themselves against false accusations. This is still America, as much as Erica wants it to be otherwise,' Rich Azzopardi wrote in a statement to The Post.
A spokesperson for DiNapoli declined to comment.
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And what happened here is what will likely happen in cities across the country.' Mamdani's top Democratic rival, the former governor, had called antisemitism and support for Israel 'the most important issue' of the campaign. Mamdani's backers repeatedly accused Cuomo of trying to weaponize the issue. Many drew parallels to the way President Trump has cast any criticism of Israel's actions as antisemitic, claiming Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their own religion. For some Mamdani supporters, the election results signaled a rejection by voters of one of Cuomo's arguments: that an upstart socialist with pro-Palestinian views posed a threat to New York's Jewish community. Many were focused on issues such as affordability in a notoriously expensive city, or were flat-out opposed to Cuomo, who was forced to resign amid sexual harassment allegations. Aiyana Leong Knauer, a 35-year-old Brooklyn bartender who is Jewish and backed Mamdani, said the vote represented 'New Yorkers, many of them Jewish, saying we care more about having an affordable city than sowing division.' 'Many of us take really deep offense to our history being weaponized against us,' she said. 'Jewish people all over the world have well-founded fears for their safety, but Jews in New York are safe overall.' Others agreed with Mamdani's views on Israel. Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, a progressive anti-Zionist group that worked on Mamdani's behalf, said the candidate 'was actually pretty popular among a lot of Jewish voters.' 'That is not in spite of his support for Palestinian rights. That is because of his support for Palestinian rights,' she said. 'There has been a massive rupture within the Jewish community, and more and more Jews of all generations, but especially younger generations,' now refuse to be tied to what they see as a rogue government committing atrocities against civilians, she said. Polls show support for Israel has declined since the war began. Overall, a slight majority of Americans now express a 'somewhat' or 'very' unfavorable opinion of Israel, according to a March Pew Research Center poll, compared with 42% in 2022. Democrats' views are particularly negative, with nearly 70% holding an unfavorable opinion versus less than 40% of Republicans. Mamdani's wasn't the only race where Israel was on voters' minds. In Brooklyn, City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, who represents Park Slope and surrounding areas, drew criticism for her Palestinian advocacy. Some said she had failed to respond forcefully to antisemitic incidents in the district. Yet Hanif, the first Muslim woman elected to the City Council, easily beat her top challenger, Maya Kornberg, who is Jewish, despite an influx of money from wealthy pro-Israel groups and donors. That outcome dismayed Ramon Maislen, a developer who launched Brooklyn BridgeBuilders to oppose Hanif's reelection and said antisemitism did not seem to resonate with voters. 'We were very disappointed with our neighbors' response,' he said. While campaigning against Hanif, he said he was routinely screamed at by residents and accused of supporting genocide. 'I think that those of us in the Jewish community that are attuned to that are cognizant that there's been some kind of cultural sea change that's occurring,' he said. 'What we're seeing is a legitimatization of hatred that isn't happening in any other liberal or progressive space.' Mamdani has repeatedly pledged to fight antisemitism, including during an appearance on 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,' where he was asked about his stance. He was joined on the show by city comptroller and fellow candidate Brad Lander, the city's highest-ranking Jewish official, who had cross-endorsed him. He has also said he would increase funding for anti-hate crime programming by 800%. But many of his comments have angered Jewish groups and officials, most notably his refusal to disavow the phrase 'globalize the intifada,' which has been used as a slogan in recent protests. Many Jews see it as a call to violence against Israeli civilians. In a podcast interview, Mamdani said the phrase captured a 'a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' Given another opportunity to condemn the phrase, Mamdani on Sunday told NBC's 'Meet the Press' that it was not his role to police speech and pledged to be a mayor who 'protects Jewish New Yorkers and lives up to that commitment through the work that I do.' Mamdani also supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which aims to pressure governments, schools and other institutions to boycott Israeli products, divest from companies that support the country, and impose sanctions. The Anti-Defamation League calls it antisemitic and part of a broader campaign to 'delegitimize and isolate the state of Israel.' Mamdani has also said that, as mayor, he would have Netanyahu arrested if the Israeli leader tried to enter the city. The ADL in a statement Thursday warned candidates and their supporters not to use 'language playing into dangerous antisemitic canards that time and time again have been used to incite hatred and violence against Jews.' In his victory speech, Mamdani alluded to the criticism he'd received and said he would not abandon his beliefs. But he also said he would 'reach further to understand the perspectives of those with whom I disagree and to wrestle deeply with those disagreements.' Colvin writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Jake Offenhartz contributed to this report.
