New York taxpayers have spent over $60 million in legal fees, stemming from scandals that ensnared Andrew Cuomo’s administration, according to a New York state report. The former New York Governor is currently running for mayor in New York City.

The updated tally from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli immediately drew harsh outrage from critics, who said it proved Cuomo, the leader in the Democratic mayoral primary race (per recent polls), wasn’t fit to return to office.

“If Cuomo is willing to use taxpayer dollars to attack government employees that he sexually harassed, what else is he willing to use taxpayer dollars for?” asked Erica Vladimer, co-founder of the Sexual Harassment Working Group. “He hasn’t taken responsibility and doesn’t deserve to be in office.”

The comptroller’s report revealed a sum of $18 million used to defend Cuomo against lawsuits filed by former aides and state employees, who accused him of sexual harassment.

To date, New York taxpayers have spent $8.6 million to defend a still-pending harassment suit brought against him by a state trooper, and paid $9 million defending Cuomo from a suit brought by former aide Charlotte Bennett, who decided in December to drop the litigation.

DiNapoli’s findings include another $11.7 million spent toward state probes, including an investigation into Cuomo’s handling of the COVID pandemic, his $5 million pandemic book deal, and impeachment proceedings launched against the then-governor.

Why are taxpayers funding Cuomo’s legal defense?

Cuomo successfully argued that the state should pay his legal costs, since he was governor at the time of the allegations. Therefore, taxpayers must foot the bill for all the costs of Cuomo’s legal defense.

The state comptroller’s figures also include $31.3 million in legal fees for state government agencies. This includes funds not directly related to Cuomo’s legal defense, like the $6.6 million paid by Attorney General Letitia James’ office to white-shoe law firm Clearly Gottlieb to work on the sexual harassment probe into the then governor.

One of Cuomo’s mayoral rivals, City Comptroller Brad Lander, seized on the new numbers in a speech Monday, calling on the ex-governor to pay New Yorkers back — and to vow not to use another cent of taxpayer cash toward legal bills.

“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,” Lander told reporters.

“And look, if he refuses either to answer the question or refuses to stop spending and refunding the money, he is sending a very clear message to every single taxpayer in New York City that he is going to put himself first and you second,” the comptroller added.

Lander said Cuomo should be spending his own cash — or campaign funds raised specifically for that purpose — to cover his personal legal defense.

“This is money that he went into court to force taxpayers to spend for him, and what that gives him is an untapped spigot, a limitless amount to spend, not just on his own defense, but going after his accusers,” Lander told reporters. “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.”

Cuomo has repeatedly denied the harassment allegations and sought to cast them as politically motivated. Nonetheless, he resigned as governor in August 2021.

Cuomo’s representatives called the $60 million figure the inflated result of creative accounting. Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi argued most of the legal fees referenced in the state comptroller’s report were the result of James’ office forcing the state to hire outside law firms.

Other Democratic primary opponents, including socialist state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdami and former city comptroller Scott Stringer, also called Cuomo out over the new numbers, with the latter saying that “Even after resigning when he was about to get the boot, New Yorkers are still footing the bill for his personal interests.”

Cuomo’s taxpayer-funded lawyers now bankroll his mayor campaign

In mid-March, lawyers who’ve pocketed millions in taxpayer cash by defending Cuomo and his associates against COVID-related and sexual harassment claims hosted a fundraiser for his mayoral bid.

The event took place at the Manhattan office of Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello, according to an invitation obtained by The New York Post and first reported by New York Focus.

The law firm received $2.79 million for defending Cuomo and his staff in the executive chamber during probes into his administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rita Glavin and Theresa Trzaskoma — who are representing Cuomo in sexual harassment cases — were listed as co-hosts, along with Joseph Belluck, a trial lawyer who is a State University of New York board trustee.

Glavin’s firm has been paid $5.68 million, while Trzaskoma’s firm, Sher Tremonte, has pocketed $6.4 million in taxpayer cash.

#MeToo movement advocates and Cuomo’s mayoral opponents slammed the fundraiser as outrageous.

“I don’t think New York taxpayers are going to be any more thrilled that their hard-earned money is going to Andrew Cuomo’s campaign,” said Vladimer. “This adds insult to injury to the women who continue to be harassed and retaliated against with his lawfare defense tactics.”

Karen Hinton, a former staffer who claimed Cuomo made unwanted sexual advances towards her in 2000 when he was the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, called the fundraiser “appalling.”

“It’s the recycling of funds from the taxpayers to the lawyers and back to Andrew Cuomo. It’s appalling. They have benefited enormously from having Andrew Cuomo as a client,” said Hinton.

Brooklyn state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a Cuomo rival in the Democratic primary for mayor, said, “Our taxpayer dollars should not be going towards Andrew Cuomo’s efforts to further harass women, lie about nursing home deaths, and then fund his political rehabilitation tour.

“It’s time to move forward as a city, not return to the problematic leaders of the past,” Myrie said.

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