NEW YORK — Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants a judge to toss two claims in a sexual harassment suit filed against him by a New York state trooper.
Cuomo’s lawyer Rita Glavin says her client couldn’t have retaliated against the trooper because he was not governor when she filed her sexual harassment lawsuit, according to legal papers filed in Brooklyn Federal Court on Tuesday.
The trooper sued Cuomo in February, alleging he made unwelcome sexual advances while she was working on his personal security detail. She also accused Cuomo of retaliation against her by threatening “criminal charges against his victims and ethics charges against their attorneys,” and claims Cuomo’s spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, retaliated against her by calling her suit a “cheap cash extortion.”
Cuomo resigned on Aug. 24.
Glavin said the two retaliation claims should be tossed because the trooper “does not remotely come close” to proving them.
The trooper’s lawyer Valdi Licul says otherwise.
“The former governor’s proposed motion is baseless. Our discrimination laws protect victims who have the courage to speak out about sexual harassment,” Liculi said.
Liculi’s client, who is only identified as “Trooper 1” in her legal documents, alleges the governor “violated” her multiple times after she was transferred to his security unit in January 2018.
In one instance, the former executive placed his palm on her belly button and ran his fingers to her holstered gun, she claims in the suit. In another, the trooper, who was in her late 20s, alleges the governor said she was too old for him.
The suit also says the state trooper was afraid that if she rejected Cuomo’s advances she would be booted from the elite protective service unit.
She was one of 11 women who testified before state Attorney General Letitia James in her independent five-month probe into allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Cuomo.
Cuomo has denied all claims against him.
“I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” he said.
He resigned after James’ 165-page report on the accusations was released.
Glavin could not immediately be reached for comment.
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