His departure has resulted in a staggering fall from the national political stardom he achieved during the nightmarish first wave of the coronavirus pandemic in spring 2020. The handling of the crisis Cuomo’s panic, lauded later, came under close scrutiny.
Cuomo has denied multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, saying he did not knowingly misrepresent the nursing home’s death toll and insisting the transaction and publication of the book followed ethical standards. .
But 18 months later since Democrats cast doubt on his presidential prospects, Cuomo is now the subject of a criminal complaint related to one of the allegations of harassment and a grand scheme for a The easy election for a fourth term in office – one over his father, the late former Governor Mario Cuomo – has been replaced by a more difficult calculation.
The spectacle of Cuomo’s refusal to retire, or at least lying low after his resignation – was ultimately spurred on by a state legislature poised to impeach, convict and remove. his resignation from office – were two struggles: to erase it and at the same time to make sure that New Yorkers didn’t forget it.
‘I didn’t know he was strong, but I thought he was scared’
Today, Cuomo’s public voice is mostly limited to his email list and Twitter account, an extensive feed of attorney Rita Glavin and his spokesman Rich Azzopardi against the lawsuit. investigation overseen by New York Attorney General Letitia James into Cuomo’s alleged sexual conduct. Cuomo frequently re-posts sympathetic articles, including a Newsday magazine from September describing his demise as an “Albany coup.” There is also a photo of the former governor and his dog, the Captain, on a boat.
For many in New York politics, from agents to lawmakers, Cuomo’s swapping of the executive suite for an online response room was welcome — and created a new impetus that they want to maintain.
State Senator Andrew Gounardes, who represents a neighborhood south of Brooklyn, described an “era of good emotions” on the Albany scene, with New Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul coming out publicly. talks about collaborations and partnerships with legislators, who have largely been frozen by the Cuomo team.
But even in exile from the capital, Cuomo left a long shadow.
“There is always the possibility of mischief and confusion, especially with someone who is suffering retribution, but I think that will only happen if we allow it,” Gounardes said.
A Democratic consultant with no ties to any campaign underscored the uniqueness of Cuomo, if increasingly weak, holding the party together.
“I didn’t know that he was powerful, but I thought he was very scary,” she said. “And there is strength in that fear.”
James’ participated in the governor’s primary meeting earlier this month, where she was widely seen as Hochul’s most formidable challenger, having been used by the former governor’s small group as a means of seeking to undermine the newspaper. her office’s report, which found that Cuomo had sexually harassed at least 11 women.
During campaigns, and in public comments on this path, discussion of the former governor’s future plans has been limited.
A Democrat who has spoken to multiple campaigns told CNN that Cuomo was a secondary issue in those discussions, with election issues more obvious — like “Brooklyn is going to go.” how?” – make up “90% of the conversation.”
“The one (Cuomo-related) that comes up is ‘What about 18 million? Are we seeing that 18 million? Shall we see a part of it? Where will that show up?'” the operative said. , referring to Cuomo’s orchestra. “Because that’s really Cuomo’s question. He’s no longer a bully podium. When he makes a statement, it gets less and less attention.”
Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, dismissed the rumors and insisted the former governor’s only priority was to clear his name.
“Since the beginning of this ordeal, this has never been about politics for us but about facts,” he said. “There’s a lot of idle speculation out there but we can’t avoid it if we continue to dominate the real estate that matters to people’s minds.”
A political comeback?
One way for Cuomo to stabilize scores, re-enter political life in a more recognizable, and potentially more fundraising form is to launch a new campaign. Rumors of a potential bid for the position of state attorney general, a job he held from 2007 to 2010, have been floating around for weeks. While few are willing to completely rule out this possibility, even some of Cuomo’s longtime allies are skeptical.
“When you’re in a situation like (Cuomo’s) I would imagine that you’re going to continue to strive not just for the fit but for a role, and that’s what he probably wants. Whatever it is. whether it’s realistic at this point, is something Jay Jacobs, the New York State Democratic Chairman, said. (Jacobs endorsed Hochul in October, when he said he last spoke to him. Cuomo.)
In some quarters there has also been skepticism about how deep Cuomo’s pockets really are – or will be – given his recent outbursts.
“I think he has a lot less money than you, and I think he does. Let’s say he has 20 million or 19 million,” said Chris Coffey, a New York-based political strategist and former colleague. -Andrew Yang’s mayoral bidding campaign manager. “So I think he’ll be lucky to break double digits (millions), still a lot of money, but if you keep going at that rate, he’s going to spend that money pretty quickly.”
Monica Klein, a progressive political consultant based in New York City, said Cuomo’s reliance on a series of violent and confusing interspersed video and email statements underscored the difficult position his towel.
“Here’s a man who used the podium and governor’s office to build and enhance his public image on a daily basis,” Klein said. “There’s no rhythm to the ‘furious ex-governor’ tweets,” Klein said. from Westchester.'”
Glavin in a live stream last week from Cuomo’s website repeated a familiar series of accusations and demands, repeatedly expressing disappointment that James had not engaged in the public’s criticisms of the company. the Cuomo team either responded to their letters (before sending two more) and pointed to a recent York Post report that suggested amplified rumors that Cuomo was considering a campaign like reason for James to withdraw from further investigations into the former governor.
“There’s been a lot of speculation that the governor might run for office, maybe try to get back into politics,” Glavin said. “I don’t know what the answer to that is, but the fact that there’s speculation and people are talking about it, we have unnamed former advisers talking about it, which means it’s in the minds of people. anyone running for governor.”
But the story cited by Glavin says that “several of Cuomo’s confidants” floated the idea, meaning she is effectively using a report pushed by allies of the former governor as a wake-up call. eat for attacking James.
In a statement, James’ office issued its strongest rebuke to date, calling the press conference “dramatic” and “fake outrage”.
“To be clear, we stand by reports of multiple sexual harassment allegations against Andrew Cuomo and more importantly, we stand with women who are brave enough to speak the truth in front of power,” one person said. spokesman said. “If Andrew Cuomo didn’t want to be accused of sexual harassment, he shouldn’t have sexually harassed so many women in the first place.”
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