Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo’s woes keep piling on

Sexual misconduct, undercounted nursing home deaths, COVID-19 vaccines and tests – and a certain book he wrote.

Gov. Cuomo on March 24, 2021.

Gov. Cuomo on March 24, 2021. Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing political peril from so many sides that it is getting difficult to keep things straight. 

There is the outstanding matter of his administration’s handling of the coronavirus in nursing homes. A litany of sexual misconduct allegations from multiple women have led to calls for his resignation and impeachment. Other scandals concern possible political meddling in distributing vaccines, safety concerns at the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and special treatment arranged by the governor for family members who needed COVID-19 tests. Revelations about a controversial $4 million book deal hardly help.

The governor has denied wrongdoing in every case, but ongoing probes could make it difficult for him to finish his current term in office or run for a fourth term next year. State Attorney General Letitia James could confirm the worst accusations of alleged sexual misconduct and could expose the governor’s alleged self enrichment at public expense through the book deal through the two investigations she is now overseeing. 

Members of the Assembly Judiciary Committee meanwhile are probing a range of issues as they continue an impeachment investigation that will likely stretch into the summer. That means Cuomo’s political fate hinges on much, much more than the alleged sexual misconduct and nursing home cover-up that have tended to dominate discussions about the erstwhile pandemic hero. While he is staying afloat for now, there is always a chance of him becoming the first governor in more than a century to be impeached and removed from office.

Here is a list of the current scandals facing Cuomo. 

Nursing homes

State lawmakers and others demanded data for months and months and months last year that would show how many nursing home residents died of COVID-19 in hospitals. A lawsuit by the Empire Center for Public Policy compelled the administration to release the data in February and then Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa held a fateful Feb. 10 meeting with state lawmakers when she seemingly confirmed that political considerations were the reason why the administration waited so long to confirm that thousands more nursing home residents died of COVID-19 in hospitals than previously reported by the state. A federal investigation of the matter (and immunity protections granted to nursing homes last year) remains ongoing and state lawmakers have made the issue a top priority for their ongoing impeachment probe. 

Sexual misconduct

The most serious accusation against the governor concerns an unnamed aide who says the governor groped her at the Executive Mansion in Albany. Other allegations include unwanted kissingtouchinginappropriate comments, and a toxic workplace in general. A long list of New York Democrats at the state and federal levels have now called for Cuomo’s resignation or impeachment, but key allies in organized laborbig business and the Black community have said the governor deserves due process. That makes an ongoing probe overseen by James particularly vital to Cuomo’s efforts to stay in office. A damning report could even turbocharge efforts to impeach and remove him from office. 

Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge

The Times Union reported March 7 a cover up of structural problems on the bridge spanning the Hudson River, which opened to traffic in 2018 just before Cuomo was elected to a third term in office. The state Thruway Authority (which operates the bridge) and the Federal Highway Administration have said the public should not worry about the safety of the suspension bridge, but the Assembly Judiciary Committee could include the subject within its ongoing impeachment probe.

Political pressure with vaccines 

Members of Team Cuomo often play multiple roles for his administration. Former Secretary to the Governor Larry Schwartz is a good example. His volunteer work for the state response to COVID-19 means he has been a point man for coordinating the distribution of vaccines with county governments. Some local leaders, however, have felt uncomfortable following phone conversations when Schwartz would discuss public health issues before doing a temperature check on their support for the governor during his current political struggles. 

Preferential treatment with COVID-19 tests

At a time when many New Yorkers could not get tested for COVID-19, Cuomo reportedly helped family members get special access alongside state officials whose health actually mattered to the public at-large. The state Public Officers Law states that officials cannot give “unwarranted privileges or exemptions” to themselves or others. Some say that includes dispatching state police to your brother’s house in the Hamptons to escort test samples back to an Albany lab. Assembly Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Lavine has said that this issue will join others on the investigatory agenda before the impeachment probe.

$4 million book deal

Cuomo appears to have used gubernatorial staff and resources to write his 2020 bestselling book “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.” That might violate state ethics rules and possibly the Public Officers Law. Team Cuomo says he kept things straight while finishing the project. Yet, reporting shows that top aides might have been editing his book, and a state report on COVID-19 in nursing homes, to maximize fame and fortune alike for the governor. Now that state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has provided the necessary referral, an investigation led by James into the book deal offers yet another chance to show just how far Cuomo has fallen in recent months.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.