A federal decide on Friday axed a retaliation declare in opposition to Andrew Cuomo within the high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit leveled by a state trooper who contends the previous New York governor groped her.
However the important thing sexual harassment declare by the lady often called “Trooper 1” in opposition to Cuomo remained untouched within the partial dismissal by Brooklyn federal Choose LaShann DeArcy Corridor.
Trooper 1’s legal professional, Valdi Licul, mentioned separate federal retaliation claims stay pending.
“With all due respect to the court docket, right now’s resolution units a harmful precedent,” Licul mentioned in an announcement. “It permits sexual harassers and their enablers who resign in shame to retaliate in opposition to their victims with none authorized penalties.”
“It mustn’t go unnoticed that the sexual harassment claims in opposition to Mr. Cuomo and the New York State Police will proceed.”
Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 after a bombshell probe by Legal professional Common Letitia James discovered he sexually harassed a number of girls, together with Trooper 1.
He has denied the accusations and faces a July 19 deadline to reply the most recent model of Trooper 1’s criticism, data present.
“The AG’s report was nothing greater than a political hatchet job missing authorized benefit,” mentioned Rita Glavin, Cuomo’s legal professional, in an announcement.
“Whereas politics and a reckless media mob carried the day in 2021, reality and the rule of regulation will in the end prevail.”
Trooper 1 contended that Cuomo, amongst different misbehavior, touched her abdomen and again in addition to kissed her on the cheek in 2019 whereas she was on responsibility.
She additionally allegedly that Cuomo and two of his prime deputies — former chief of workers Melissa DeRosa and spokesman Wealthy Azzopardi — retaliated in opposition to her for coming ahead.
The decide threw out the retaliation claims in opposition to Cuomo primarily based on metropolis and state human rights legal guidelines as a result of the alleged reprisal unfolded after the governor resigned, based on court docket paperwork.
Corridor beforehand dismissed retaliation claims in opposition to DeRosa and Azzopardi in September, data present.
“This resolution confirms what we mentioned all alongside: Trooper #1’s criticism was a gross abuse of the court docket system and a clear try and weaponize the Legal professional Common’s sham report for her personal private monetary achieve,” the pair mentioned in a joint assertion.
“These efforts have failed. We consider that Choose Corridor’s opinion demonstrates that Trooper #1’s claims had been frivolous and, as such, we’re contemplating our authorized choices.”
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