“This allowed the governor to sexually harass Ms. Bennett, a subordinate employee almost 40 years younger, with impunity,” said Katz. “We are confident that a thorough investigation of the working environment in Governor Cuomo’s office will conclude that the Governor and his senior team have fostered a culture of abuse, harassment and secrecy.”
Mrs. Garvey, the governor’s special attorney, responded by saying that “Mrs. Bennett’s concerns were handled with sensitivity and respect and in accordance with applicable law and policy. ”
The paperwork that Ms. James asked the government to preserve will be especially important as investigators examine how members of the governor’s team dealt with complaints of sexual harassment made by their employees. Questions have already been raised about whether Cuomo’s advisers followed the proper protocol when reporting allegations made by Ms. Bennett, who was an executive assistant at the time.
When Ms. Bennett told Jill DesRosiers, the governor’s chief of staff, that Cuomo had sexually harassed her in June, shortly after the alleged incident, the revelation should have been reported to a state labor office. This would have led to an investigation into his complaint.
It is not yet clear whether the governor’s advisers adequately reported their complaint to the labor office, known as the Governor’s Labor Relations Office, as required by an executive order that Mr. Cuomo issued in 2018 amid the #MeToo movement.
Ms. Bennett said she gave a long statement about her interactions with the governor to a special lawyer for Cuomo, Judith Mogul. Bennett said he made it clear to Mogul that he believed the governor had proposed her and was preparing her for sex, telling Cuomo’s aides that he feared retaliation for reporting his behavior.
Shortly after her initial complaint to Ms. DesRosiers, Ms. Bennett was transferred to another job in a different part of the State Capitol. The governor’s office did not say on Friday whether Bennett’s complaint was reported or investigated.
“As the documents will reflect, I acted on the information provided, the requirements of the law and Charlotte’s wishes,” said Mogul in a statement on Friday.