A former Citigroup executive suing the bank for sexual harassment has claimed that the lender's internal investigations unit twisted her statements to be used against her, according to an interview with the Financial Times.
Ardith Lindsey, a 15-year veteran of Citi who rose to managing director, described the bank's Citi Security and Investigative Services (CSIS) as "HR's internal hit squad," alleging the team prioritized protecting the company over employees.
Lindsey said the CSIS, staffed with former FBI agents and prosecutors, misrepresented her confidential statements after she reported death threats from a supervisor.
"Citi's CSIS operates as HR's internal hit squad, highly trained to protect the firm at employees' expense," she told the FT.
Her 2023 lawsuit claims that Citi fostered a "pervasive" and "notoriously hostile" culture of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in its equities division, NY Post reported.
Lindsey alleged years of abuse from her former boss, Mani Singh, who resigned in November 2022 and is no longer registered with any financial firm.
According to court filings, Singh allegedly threatened to ruin Lindsey's career if she resisted his advances and sent text threats to her family.
Lindsey also recounted an earlier incident at age 24, when a senior manager forcibly kissed her. She said she was not provided counsel during CSIS interviews nor given summaries of her meetings.
Four anonymous current and former employees told the Financial Times that CSIS interviews often led to retaliation or forced exits, with one describing a pattern of two investigators questioning one employee in secret.
Citi banker suing for sexual harassment slams firm's investigation unit as 'internal hit squad' https://t.co/VumOMcBcfV pic.twitter.com/nBWRAJHBds
— New York Post (@nypost) March 4, 2026
Citi Faces Multiple Sexual Harassment Lawsuits
Citi defended its practices, stating that it takes concerns seriously and approaches investigations with "professionalism, integrity, and empathy."
The spokesperson added that CSIS professionals support disaster response, global protection for employees, and probes into workplace behavior under clear guidelines.
The case is part of a broader reckoning on Wall Street around harassment and workplace culture.
Lindsey's lawsuit prompted Citi markets head Andy Morton to send a company-wide memo emphasizing, "No colleague should ever be discriminated against or harassed."
Separately, former managing director Julia Carreon filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment by Andy Sieg, Citi's head of wealth management.
Carreon claimed that the HR department shielded men while forcing women who spoke up out of the company.
According to Yahoo, she said Sieg initially supported her work but later subjected her to "unrelenting and egregious sexual harassment, manipulation, and grooming." Citi has denied all allegations from Carreon, stating the claims "have absolutely no merit."
Citi, the third-largest US bank and the largest led by a woman, has been under CEO Jane Fraser's leadership since 2021.
Originally published on vcpost.com
