Gov. Cuomo turns deaf ear to sex assault claims

Lisa Marie Cater, 51, alleged that William "Sam" Hoyt, former regional president of Empire State Development Corp., stalked and groped her, and kissed her without consent for approximately a year.

When Cater repeatedly tried to report this "barrage" of unwanted sexual advances by one of Cuomo's appointees, she was given the runaround when she called his office, according to a federal lawsuit filed in New York City on Saturday.

She also emailed a complaint to Cuomo's office and sent a message to his Facebook page. Both times she was ignored, the lawsuit states.

The alleged abuse began soonafter Hoyt helped Cater obtain a $30,000-a-year job at the state Division of Motor Vehicles in February 2016. She claims the alleged abuse left her on the verge of a "nervous breakdown."

This came at a time in Cater's life when she was about to be evicted and was also a victim of domestic abuse, the New York Post reported.

"He hung this job over my head," she told the Post, "I felt like a possession of his."

Cuomo,  who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, in typical politician fashion denied the allegations through his attorney.

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