New York City, New York — New York taxpayers have paid an additional $1.3 million since late May to defend former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Police in a sexual discrimination lawsuit brought by a state trooper who served on his security detail, according to new figures released by the state comptroller.
The latest spending brings total state-funded legal costs for the case to $10.5 million under a law requiring New York to cover “reasonable” litigation expenses for state employees accused of wrongdoing while performing official duties. Combined with other lawsuits filed by Cuomo’s accusers, total taxpayer-funded legal fees tied to the former governor now exceed $21 million.
The scale of the spending is unprecedented. Reporting by The City previously found Cuomo-related cases accounted for roughly one-third of all state-paid litigation costs across 249 cases since 2020. Critics argue the expense far exceeds what the law intended.
Although Cuomo’s bid to return to public office collapsed after his loss in last month’s mayoral election, his legal battles continue. A recent discovery hearing lasted nearly five hours, as Cuomo’s attorneys sought to introduce additional evidence and testimony, drawing pushback from the judge. The court ultimately limited further depositions but reopened discovery in a narrow way to review additional medical records related to the trooper’s claims of emotional distress.
Cuomo continues to deny all allegations. His spokesperson said the former governor is simply defending himself, while Cuomo has separately filed new lawsuits, including an effort to block an ethics probe into a $5 million book deal he received while in office.
Advocates say the prolonged litigation keeps accusers entangled in court proceedings and raises serious questions about whether taxpayers should continue footing the bill.
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