Alison Esposito, a candidate for Congress in New York, was responsible for $120,000 in misconduct settlements during her time as a police officer in New York City.
According to a campaign spokesman, Esposito’s team has denied all the allegations mentioned in the lawsuits and has also defended her record with the New York Police Department. The spokesman stated, “When criminals are rightfully brought to justice, they often try to blame law enforcement through the legal system. The City of New York is frequently compelled to settle these frivolous and unfounded lawsuits in order to avoid expensive litigation.”
In 2005, a settlement was reached in a case involving a group of three black women who Esposito had accused of shoplifting. They were awarded a judgment of $95,000. Additionally, another significant judgment of $25,000 was awarded to Cuevas.
Esposito and another officer are accused of unlawfully entering an apartment building on East 101st Street and engaging in actions such as stopping, assaulting, frisking, handcuffing, detaining, arresting, and imprisoning Cuevas. In response to the complaint, Esposito’s attorney has denied the allegations, stating that the plaintiffs’ own actions may have contributed to their injuries or damages.
According to a spokesperson from the Esposito campaign, Alison, who served the NYPD for more than twenty years, did not detain, stop, question, or frisk an infant.
Esposito is currently in a race against Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) in New York’s 18th Congressional District, which is considered a competitive district according to the Cook Political Report, although it leans towards the Democratic party. Notably, Esposito and Zeldin came close to winning the governorship in 2022, losing by only 6.4 points. This was the closest a Republican has come to winning the state since 2002.
According to Decision Desk HQ, Ryan has an 82% chance of winning reelection.
