Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has filed a court notice that he intends to sue one of the women who accused him of sexual harassment for defamation, The New York Times reports.
Cuomo filed a notice of claim in New York State Supreme Court on Thursday to seek compensatory damages from Charlotte Bennett, his former aide who he claims made false and defamatory statements that "have harmed and will continue to harm Governor Cuomo, both personally and professionally."
Bennett in 2021 accused Cuomo of asking her inappropriate questions about her sexual activity, her relationships, and whether she was interested in older men. She filed a lawsuit in state and federal court in 2022, eventually ending the federal lawsuit just last week saying in a statement that part of the reason for dropping the suit was so the former governor "can no longer use this lawsuit to harass me and my family."
Cuomo's attorneys claim in the court filing on Thursday that Bennett’s statement about dropping the federal lawsuit "was false and defamatory," adding that "Bennett made it knowing full well that it was false and intending to cause harm to Governor Cuomo."
Bennett’s attorney, Debra Katz, said in a statement that Cuomo's defamation claim had "no merit," adding, "There is a long history of using defamation lawsuits to silence and punish accusers of sexual harassment. It is shameful that Mr. Cuomo has apparently now chosen to go down that path."
In his resignation speech, Cuomo said that there were "11 women who I truly offended," and previously said that he may have made statements to staff members that were "misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation."