“He wants to do something.”įor Cuomo’s critics, the tactics in his legal fights are a reminder of how he can often resort to intimidation. Paterson had lunch with Cuomo earlier this year and was struck by how his successor continued to replay the game tape of his downfall. “You see an article about yourself and fly into a rage.” “There is a path, but I think he’s struggling with what goes on day to day,” former Democratic Gov. “I haven’t ruled any in I haven’t ruled any out.”Ī comeback could be complicated by Cuomo himself - by his own rumination over what led to his resignation and determination to rewrite the past, including scandals around his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic for which he initially received national acclaim that fueled talk of a presidential bid.Ĭuomo’s continued ax-grinding is a mistake, according to a half dozen Democrats who have spoken with the former governor. I think I have a lot of options, and there are a lot of issues I’m working on now that I care about,” he said. “Do I believe I could run for political office again? Yes. He often continues to dress the part: a dark suit, crisp white shirt and silver cufflinks with the number 56, as the state’s 56th governor, engraved on them. A political future?Ĭuomo was elected to three terms in New York, but was upended by sexual harassment allegations and a series of scandals around his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.Īs he battles the claims in civil court, the 65-year-old isn’t ruling out another run for public office, and he has tried to remain relevant with a weekly podcast and speeches at Black churches, where he’s warmly received. He notes that some of the women say they didn’t view the alleged episodes as harassment and says he’s never been told who one of the women is.Ĭuomo’s lawyers say the current round of depositions and subpoenas is essential to defend him against an effort to use all the claims in the report to buttress the existing civil litigation. The former governor has denied assaulting or sexually harassing anyone and says the report unfairly inflated the number of accusers. “Not only does this retraumatize the women who were courageous enough to come forward, but it will certainly have a chilling effect on those who consider speaking up about sexual harassment and abuse in the future.”Ĭuomo did not face criminal prosecution after five district attorneys investigated the various allegations of 11 women contained in a state report that led to his downfall in 2021, which included the claim he groped a former aide at the governor’s mansion in 2020. “Cuomo’s misuse of the legal system as part of his revenge campaign has put a tremendous emotional and financial burden on his victims,” Danya Perry and Julie Gerchik, attorneys for Lindsey Boylan, one of the women who has accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior, said in a statement. They and their lawyers are largely refraining from talking publicly about his strategy amid the lawsuits and subpoenas - which taxpayers are funding to the tune of $20 million because he won a case to have the state pay his legal bills. Some women allegedly victimized by Cuomo contend they are tormented by his legal tactics and having to retell their stories, along with the cost of hiring attorneys. “You don’t play politics with justice,” he said. They abused the law and weaponized the legal system, he insists. “This was spontaneous combustion.”Ĭuomo is going to extreme lengths to cast himself as the victim, employing what one judge called a “scorched earth” tactic to get information about an alleged college sexual assault case involving one of the women.Īnd just like Trump, he grouses about the prosecutors who’ve come for him over the years. “A rush to judgment doesn’t even do it right,” the former three-term governor said in a rare interview.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |