New York mayor denies sex assault claim amid flurry of last-minute suits

New York Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday denied allegations that he sexually assaulted a female coworker 30 years ago, as the state sees a flurry of lawsuits filed ahead of a statute of limitations deadline.

The complaint against Adams, filed Wednesday, alleges "sexual assault, battery, and employment discrimination on the basis of Plaintiff's gender and sex, retaliation, hostile work environment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress," according to court documents.

The Democratic mayor "vigorously" denies the claim, his office said, arguing he does not know the plaintiff and would never cause anyone physical harm.

Adams followed up by telling reporters "I will never do anything to harm anyone. That has never happened."

The civil suit, first reported by The Messenger news site, alleges the plaintiff "was sexually assaulted by Defendant Eric Adams in New York, New York in 1993 while they both worked for the City of New York."

The woman is seeking a trial and at least $5 million in relief, according to a summons dated Wednesday.

"The mayor does not know who this person is. If they ever met, he doesn't recall it," a city hall spokesperson said in a statement.

"But he would never do anything to physically harm another person and vigorously denies any such claim."

The suit was submitted under the New York Adult Survivors Act, a law passed last year that opened a one-year window for sexual assault claims to be filed that otherwise happened too far in the past to litigate. 

That window expires on Friday.

Sexual assault lawsuits were also filed Wednesday against US actor Jamie Foxx and Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose.

Those suits follow a rape complaint against rapper Sean Combs, filed last week by R&B singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura.

A day after that filing, the parties said they had agreed to resolve the case, but did not disclose the settlement terms.

On Thursday, a second suit was filed against Combs, known popularly as "P. Diddy," US media reported.

Former US president Donald Trump was also sued under the law by former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, whom a jury awarded $2 million in May.

Adams, a former police officer who took office in January 2022 as New York's second Black mayor, also faces a corruption investigation into campaign financing. Federal investigators are probing whether Adams's 2021 campaign conspired with Turkey's government and other actors.