In an interview on French television Sunday, the former head of the International Monetary Fund called the May 14 encounter a "moral failing," but he denied that any violence was involved.
Strauss-Kahn said he regrets what happened, but claims Nafissatou Diallo, a West African immigrant, lied about the incident.
The assault charges were dropped, but Diallo's attorney said she'll proceed with a civil suit against Strauss-Kahn.
The former IMF chief is also facing charges in France, where a writer said he tried to rape her eight years ago. Strauss-Kahn said he's innocent in that case and that "no act of aggression, no violence" had taken place between the two.
Strauss-Kahn resigned from the IMF's top job in the wake of the scandal involving the New York maid.
Though he didn't rule out a future return to politics, the man once widely regarded as the Socialist party's best hope at beating France's incumbent conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy said he needed to take time to think about his future.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
