(The Center Square) — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s legal battles over sexual harassment claims and other scandals have cost the state more than $60 million, according to a new report from the state’s fiscal watchdog.
The report by New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli identified more than a dozen law firms that received payments from the state to defend Cuomo against sexual harassment, claims and other scandals during his 10 years in the governor’s office. At least $18 million was paid to private lawyers to defend Cuomo and his top advisors in civil sexual harassment cases, according to DiNapoli’s office.
DiNapoli’s report found at least $11.7 million was spent to defend Cuomo’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his $5 million book deal, and impeachment proceedings launched against him.
In 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James concluded that Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women. A 2024 Department of Justice settlement said Cuomo and senior members of his staff subjected women to a “sexually hostile work environment” and retaliated against them for complaining about it.
Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid the sexual harassment claims, has repeatedly denied the allegations and argued that they were politically motivated.
The report comes as Cuomo plots his political comeback with a high-profile challenge to embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams in next year’s Democratic primary.
New York City controller Brad Lander, a Democrat also running for NYC mayor, seized on the report to criticize Cuomo and said he should be paying for his own legal defense and give back the money to taxpayers.
“Let’s be clear about this, Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 13 women, and now he’s legally harassing them, and he’s making taxpayers accessory to his harassment and bullying,” Lander told reporters on Monday. “He should make a commitment that he will raise the money to refund New York state taxpayers for the $60 million in legal expenses that he has already forced us to expend.”
However, Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said many of the legal costs stemmed from the attorney general’s work, including $6.6 million for an investigation of the sexual harassment claims against Cuomo before he stepped down. He also tore into Lander over his demands that Cuomo pay back the money.
“Brad Lander should be more concerned about his ethical lapses stemming from his anti-Israel pension fund divestment strategy than about legal fees stemming from the AG’s multiple recusals and to defend from multiple COVID investigations that the DOJ inspector general found were a corrupt and politicized use of federal resources,” Azzopardi said in a statement.
“New Yorkers know the city is in crisis and that Andrew Cuomo has the experience, the record and the ability to save it and they won’t get confused by fuzzy math,” he added.
Meanwhile, good government groups, including Common Cause New York, have urged DiNapoli to cut off Cuomo’s legal defense funds, pointing out the comptroller’s “fiduciary duty to protect New York’s taxpayers.”
“The lack of sufficient oversight of reimbursements has enabled Mr. Cuomo to perpetuate the harassment of women he was already found to have harassed by multiple investigations, now through the legal system and at taxpayer expense,” the groups wrote in a Feb. 11 letter.
