Justice Department reaches settlement with New York for reforms related to Cuomo accusations

NEW YORK – In the aftermath of the sexual assault charges that led to the downfall of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Justice Department announced Friday that it reached a settlement with the state of New York for a series of reforms to protect women from sexually hostile work environments. 

The department said at least 13 state employees were victims of unwelcome conduct. Previous disclosures listed 11 women, but not all were state employees, including several Cuomo met at public events. 

“These things happened. These things happened to me and other women. And then a huge bureaucracy tried to bury us for telling the truth. Never again will I ever let anyone or any system harm me and other women that way,” Cuomo accuser Linsay Boylan wrote on X. 

“Governor Cuomo did not sexually harass anyone. The DOJ ‘investigation’ was based entirely on the NYS Attorney General’s deeply flawed, inaccurate, biased, and misleading report.  At no point did DOJ even contact Governor Cuomo concerning these matters. This is nothing more than a political settlement with no investigation. The NYS Police and NYS disagree with and are actively defending against the claims by Trooper 1 and Charlotte Bennett in their lawsuits, with NYS going so far as to say in a court filing that Ms. Bennett’s allegations do not constitute sexual harassment, stating:  ‘[Ms. Bennett’s] allegations constitute petty slights and/or trivial inconveniences that are not actionable,'” Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin said. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul said when she took office she took immediate steps to ensure a safe work environment. 

“The moment I took office, I knew I needed to root out the culture of harassment that had previously plagued the Executive Chamber and implement strong policies to promote a safe workplace for all employees, and took immediate action to do so. I am pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice has acknowledged the significance of those efforts, and look forward to partnering with them as we continue to build upon that success,” Hochul said. 

The Cuomo camp pointed out that the settlement includes no admission of liability, and doesn’t constitute a finding in the case. 

Cuomo’s attorney said the settlement “isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.”