Andrew Cuomo was poised to make a political comeback—until the door on his aspirations was slammed shut by a new accusation of sexual assault and a resulting lawsuit.
Brittany Commisso, a former aide who had previously accused him of groping her breast, is filing suit against the former governor under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, alleging “pervasive abusive conduct” and “continuous sexual harassment” during her employment as his assistant, according to the summons filed Wednesday in Albany County Supreme Court.
In January 2022, an Albany City Court dismissed the forcible touching complaint brought against Commisso after Albany District Attorney David Soares declined to pursue it, deeming the charge “impossible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt in criminal court.” In the letter he filed, he did however, state that he found Commisso’s claim “credible.”
Now thanks to a state law that opened a one-year window for adult survivors of sexual offenses to sue their alleged abusers, even if the statute of limitations on their claims had expired, Commisso is filing a lawsuit.
The summons filed by Commisso this week says the former governor’s behavior allegedly included “unwelcome sexual advances” and “sexual comments” about her appearance and personal life. It also accuses Cuomo of assigning “humiliating and demeaning tasks, hugs, kisses,” as well as the incidents of sexual misconduct detailed in the 2021 state report.
Commisso also believed she was “required to suffer to maintain her employment” and further alleges that she suffered retaliation after rejecting Cuomo’s attempt to engage in sexual acts, and for later reporting the behavior.
Mr. Cuomo begs to differ. “Ms. Commisso’s claims are provably false, which is why the Albany District Attorney dismissed the case two years ago after a thorough investigation,” Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin told CNN in a statement. “Ms. Commisso’s transparent attempt at a cash grab will fail. We look forward to seeing her in court.”
Whether Cuomo will be exonerated or not in court has now become immaterial. It would be very surprising if this latest accusation did not put a permanent end to his political comeback.
Cuomo is not alone in facing such charges. Just this week New York City Mayor Eric Adams was accused of the sexual molestation of a colleague in 1993.
The list of politicians who have faced accusations of sexual misconduct is long.
Some of these politicians have resigned, some have faced investigations or trials, and some have continued their careers despite the allegations.
Among the most prominent cases we find: former President George H.W. Bush. Eight women alleged that he groped them at various events dating back to 1992. Bush’s spokesman said he did not mean to offend anyone and was trying to put them at ease because he was in a wheelchair.
Former Senator Al Franken: eight women accused him of groping, kissing or making inappropriate comments to them between 2006 and 2017. Franken apologized for some of his actions, but denied others. He resigned from the Senate in January 2018.
Former Senate candidate Roy Moore: nine women alleged that he pursued, harassed, assaulted, or molested them when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s in the 1970s and 1980s. Moore denied the allegations and ran for the Senate in Alabama in 2017, but lost to Democrat Doug Jones.
In one of the more bizarre cases, Former Representative Trent Franks was accused by at least three former staffers of having asked them to be surrogate mothers for him and his wife. He resigned from Congress in December 2017.
One of the most recent—and clamorous–is former president Donald Trump. In two related lawsuits brought by author E. Jean Carroll against Trump, the jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, ordering him to pay $5 million in damages.
Sexual assault charges are usually the kiss of death for a politician’s career and Cuomo and Adams are probably about to suffer the consequences—whether the charges end up being proved or disproved.
The exception to this rule is of course, Donald Trump, who has faced and survived not only the E. Jean Carol cases but other trials involving sexual misconduct such as the “hush money” he paid Stormy Daniels, or the infamous Access Hollywood tapes, the source of the now legendary and admission, “…when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. … Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”
It remains to be seen if either Cuomo or Adams have the clout, the loyal base and the star power of Trump to dodge such accusations and save their careers.
