Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is taking legal action against state Attorney General Letitia James in order to obtain the release of interviews conducted during the sexual misconduct investigation that led to his resignation.
On Thursday, Cuomo filed a lawsuit against James in New York state court, arguing that he needs access to the witness statements in their entirety to mount a proper defense against two sexual harassment lawsuits that are connected to the investigation.
One of the lawsuits was filed by a New York state trooper in February 2022, accusing Cuomo of sex discrimination and retaliation. The second lawsuit was filed by Charlotte Bennett, a former aide, in September 2022.
In a separate case filed by Cuomo last year, a federal judge declined to release similar records.
Cuomo, who was once seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, resigned in 2021 after an investigation by the attorney general's office concluded that he sexually harassed at least 11 women.
Cuomo has consistently denied the allegations against him. He and his supporters have repeatedly criticized Letitia James and the sexual misconduct investigation, claiming that it was unfair. There have been rumors that Cuomo is considering a political comeback.
When contacted by CBS News on Friday, a spokesperson for Letitia James declined to comment on Cuomo's lawsuit.
In November, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo faced another legal challenge when he was sued for sexual harassment by his former executive assistant Brittany Commisso.
In a 2021 interview with "CBS Mornings" before Cuomo's resignation, Commisso made allegations that he had groped her on two occasions. The first incident occurred in December 2019, and the second incident took place in November 2020.
