Category: Andrew Cuomo

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Sheriff cites an ‘overwhelming amount of evidence,’ in sexual misconduct case against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple speaks during a news conference at the Albany County Sheriff office after a criminal complaint was filed charging former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo with a misdemeanor sex offense of alleged forcible touching of a former executive assistant Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, in New Scotland, N.Y.
Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple speaks during a news conference at the Albany County Sheriff office after a criminal complaint was filed charging former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo with a misdemeanor sex offense of alleged forcible touching of a former executive assistant Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, in New Scotland, N.Y.

AP Photo/Hans Pennink

  • The former NY governor Andrew Cuomo is the subject of a sexual misconduct investigation.
  • A criminal summons against Cuomo was made public on Thursday.
  • Cuomo criticized the timing; it came a day before NY AG Letitia James declared her run for governor.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said the case against former New York governor Andrew Cuomo is a “solid” one, at a Friday press briefing, a day after a criminal summons against Cuomo was made public prematurely.

The summons stems from allegations by a former executive assistant to Cuomo who accused him of “forcible touching.”

Cuomo had repeatedly denied the allegations.

“We have an overwhelming amount of evidence. We have a victim who has been cooperating fully every day, every step of the way,” Sheriff Apple said.

“As far as a conviction … it’s really going to come down to a jury, a judge, and the district attorney’s office.”

Cuomo and his attorney, Rita Glavin have taken issue with the investigation into the former governor’s alleged conduct, suggesting some law-enforcement officials involved in the case have acted with political animus.

“What Sheriff Apple did say about doing a ‘separate’ investigation from the DA, with ‘our victim,’ speaks volumes about his professed objectivity,” Glavin said.

“We expect clear-headed people will make better decisions going forward, but should this case move forward we are prepared to vigorously defend the Governor and challenge every aspect of the specious, inconsistent and uncorroborated allegations made against him.”

The summons was leaked Thursday via social media much earlier than the sheriff expected, he said.

“We didn’t want everybody to know exactly what we were doing because we didn’t want all this, the circus,” Apple said Friday, adding that he believed “somebody from court leaked the document immediately.”

Apple continued: “I don’t think those documents should have been released until after an arraignment.”

“Things in criminal investigations don’t always go how you want.”

Cuomo’s arraignment is set for November 17.

“It’s my hope that he shows up,” Apple said. If he doesn’t show up, a criminal arrest warrant may be issued for the former governor.

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New York AG Tish James officially declares run for governor in 2022

New York Attorney General Letitia James points as she speaks during a press conference announcing legislation to reform police use of force laws in Manhattan on May 21, 2021 in New York City.
New York Attorney General Tish James (D).

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

  • New York Attorney General Tish James is officially running for governor in 2022.
  • James is a serious contender.
  • Her investigation led to the resignation of Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul becoming governor.

After months of speculation, New York Attorney General Tish James is officially running for governor in 2022.

James, 63, hails from Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood and boasts an impressive resume across city and statewide politics, culminating in her investigation that led to the resignation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

She made her campaign official in a biographical video posted on Twitter.

James’ video did not mention Hochul by name.

“I’ve sued the Trump administration 76 times,” James says in the video. “But who’s counting?”

Both Cuomo and former New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer, who also resigned amid a sex scandal, ran for governor following stints as state attorneys general.

The James announcement sets into motion what could prove to be a contentious primary battle against incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, the first female governor in the history of the Empire State.

Hochul, who stepped in to take over for Cuomo after serving as his lieutenant governor, announced she would seek a full term in 2022 in August.

James’ announcement came less than an hour before Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple was scheduled to hold a press conference on the misdemeanor forcible touching charges facing Cuomo.

Cuomo, who has denied any non-consensual sexual encounters or workplace harassment, has also been the subject of rumors surrounding the 2022 race. Since he was never formally impeached, he would legally be allowed to run.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is also reportedly mulling a run for Albany’s corner office after his term expires at the end of this year.

On the Republican side, Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island is heavily favored to prevail in the GOP primary.

Former Westchester County Rob Astorino is also running on the GOP line for a second time after losing to Cuomo by 14 percentage points in 2014.

Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, is also running as a Republican.

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What will legal cannabis sales look like in New York City? Not even the biggest dispensary chain in the US knows.

People walk past the Weed World store on March 31, 2021, in Midtown New York
People walk past the Weed World store on March 31, 2021, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Despite the shop’s name, it doesn’t sell any products containing THC.

Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

  • As of March 31, 2021, cannabis became legal in New York City.
  • It’s still unclear when legal sales of cannabis will begin in America’s biggest market.
  • “We don’t know…and not just on the timeline,” Curaleaf exec Patrik Jonsson told Insider.

Cannabis has been legal in New York City since the end of March, but there’s still no way to legally purchase it.

What is expected to be America’s largest cannabis market is still stuck in limbo as New York legislators hammer out the details.

When will consumers be able to walk into a store and buy cannabis?

“We don’t know, we don’t know,” Patrik Jonsson, northeast regional president at Curaleaf, told Insider. “And not just on the timeline, but also what we’re going to be allowed to do,” he said.

Curaleaf is among the top cannabis MSOs, or multi-state operators, in the United States, according to The Motley Fool. It has over 100 dispensaries in 23 states, including New York State where it operates several medical dispensaries.

Jonsson is responsible for overseeing Curaleaf’s business in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Vermont. He said working on New York City right now is “kind of a moving target,” because it’s impossible to plan for the future without knowing what the regulations will be.

“We’re kind of hedging our bets on how big, how small, how quick,” Jonsson said. “‘Cause none of that is set in stone. We don’t know if we’re allowed to be in one location. Are we allowed two locations? Can it be three locations?”

People in line at Rocky Mountain Cannabis Store, a cannabis dispensary in Dinosaur, Colorado.
In Colorado, cannabis has been legal and regulated for sale in stores since January 2014.

Visions of America/Joe Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Cannabis laws vary dramatically from state to state, and New York is in a unique position where two of the surrounding states (New Jersey and Connecticut) are concurrently writing their own regulation on adult cannabis use.

In New York, for instance, only existing medical cannabis producers – like Curaleaf – will be able to both cultivate and sell cannabis. New entrants to the recreational market will have to choose to either cultivate or sell, not both.

But without knowing what type of retail stores will be allowed, how many will be allowed, and how they’ll operate – to say nothing of not knowing when they’ll be able to open for business – potential retailers are being more careful before diving in.

“Obviously the prices are pretty steep in a place like Manhattan,” Jonsson said. “So, we’re looking for locations, but we’re also going to be strategic on how do we hold that location without knowing for sure if it’s a location we’re actually going to be able to use. That’s a game that all the current operators are looking at.”

Manhattan retail was hit particularly hard during the height of the COVID pandemic, with tourism and commuters simultaneously disappearing from major sections of midtown and downtown Manhattan. Chains like Starbucks closed dozens of stores, many small businesses shuttered for good, and some new entrants are using that as an opportunity to get a foothold in New York City.

It’s unclear if cannabis dispensaries will be able to take advantage of the current glut of open Manhattan retail space.

Jonsson said that Curaleaf is currently anticipating retail sales to open in New York starting in early 2023, but he’s hoping it’ll be sooner given Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent fast-tracking initiative and subsequent council appointments.

When asked last week by Insider senior politics reporter Jake Lahut when retail cannabis sales will begin, Hochul declined to comment. In a follow up email, deputy communications director for economic development Jason Gough similarly declined to offer a timeline.

“We will continue to work expeditiously to bring this new industry to life safely,” Gough said.

Got a tip? Contact Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@insider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.

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Former Human Rights Campaign head threatens ‘legal challenge’ after being fired over accusations of involvement in Cuomo sexual-harassment scandal

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo is welcomed to the stage by HRC President Alphonso David during the Human Rights Campaign's 19th Annual Greater New York Gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on February 01, 2020 in New York City.
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David (right).

Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

  • The Human Rights Campaign board ousted its president, Alphonso David, on Sunday.
  • David is now threatening a “legal challenge” to what he argues was an unjust dismissal.
  • David advised Cuomo as an attorney, but did not disclose that work to his employer, per The Times.
  • See more stories on Insider’s business page.

After the board of the Human Rights Campaign fired him as president over the weekend, Alphonso David is threatening to take legal action.

David, 50, was the first civil rights attorney and the first person of color to lead the organization.

His standing within the HRC began to turn when he was mentioned in New York Attorney General Letitia James’s bombshell 165-page report corroborating allegations of sexual harassment from 11 women against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

David advised Cuomo as an attorney, but did not disclose that work to his employer, with an HRC report on his role in the Cuomo scandal finding that he had a conflict of interest, according to The New York Times.

David advised the Cuomo legal team on how to discredit an accuser by drafting a letter that would undermine her credibility, the report found. David also distributed a memo on the accuser’s work history to Cuomo staff, and encouraged them to sign onto the letter even though he claimed he would not do so himself.

Over the weekend, before he was fired, David refused to resign and claimed the HRC’s investigation into the Cuomo scandal found no wrongdoing on his part and was complete, despite the HRC contradicting him and saying the report was not finished yet, according to The Washington Post.

At midnight on Monday morning, David responded to his dismissal with a screenshot statement on Twitter.

“As a Black, gay man who has spent his whole life fighting for civil and human rights, they cannot shut me up,” he wrote. “Expect a legal challenge.”

David, like other Cuomo allies, has continued to deny any wrongdoing in the sexual harassment scandal.

Other prominent figures close to Cuomo have left their jobs in the wake of several scandals that ultimately brought the governor down.

Roberta Kaplan stepped down as chairwoman of Time’s Up, the legal defense fund that gained prominence during the height of the #MeToo movement, for helping advise Cuomo on how to respond to the harassment allegations.

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Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been stripped of his International Emmy Award after resigning amid a sexual harassment scandal

cuomo impeachment lawmaker comments
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is under increasing pressure from fellow Democrats.

Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

  • Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been stripped of his International Emmy award.
  • An Emmy’s spokesperson told Insider they do not handle any return of the physical trophy.
  • Cuomo won the award last year for his daily COVID-19 briefings.
  • See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s International Emmy Founders Award was rescinded on Tuesday.

In a statement released on Tuesday morning, the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences said it was striking the record of Cuomo being an Emmy winner.

“The International Academy announced today that in light of the New York Attorney General’s report, and Andrew Cuomo’s subsequent resignation as Governor, it is rescinding his special 2020 International Emmy Award,” the Academy said in their statement.

Cuomo won the International Emmy Founders Award for “effective communication and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the International Academy said in 2020. His daily coronavirus briefings were the major source of his star turn during the pandemic.

Now his name will be wiped from all Emmy communications and historical lists.

An Emmy’s spokesperson told Insider that they do not have a say in whether Cuomo returns the physical trophy, and referred a reporter to the Academy, who did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Many conservative media outlets blasted Cuomo for winning the award, and it became a source of frequent scorn on Fox News.

In his farewell speech on Monday, Cuomo made one final jab at New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio before signing off.

He has not been heard from ever since tweeting about not abandoning his dog, Captain, following an Albany Times Union report about him leaving the rescue pet behind in the governor’s mansion.

Cuomo’s spokesman did not respond to Insider’s request for comment on whether the former governor will be returning the trophy.

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Cuomo takes one final shot at his nemesis Bill de Blasio before leaving office in disgrace

cuomo de blasio feud part xvi 2x1
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

Lev Radin, Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

  • The longstanding feud between Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio saw one last jab on Monday.
  • In Cuomo’s final speech as governor, he insulted the NYC mayor.
  • Cuomo said mayoral nominee Eric Adams will bring “competence to the position.”
  • See more stories on Insider’s business page.

After nearly eight years of petty slights and territorial spats, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo couldn’t help adding one more insult to his feud with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio during his farewell address on Monday.

Cuomo made misleading statements about the sexual harassment allegations against him being uncorroborated, played the hits on his pandemic response, and rattled off what he sees as his biggest accomplishments before taking aim at de Blasio one last time while in office.

The governor presented the prerecorded speech before officially stepping down at midnight following his resignation announcement on August 10.

“Eric Adams will be the next mayor of New York City,” Cuomo said, referring to the Brooklyn borough president and former police officer who still has to win the general election in November. “I think he’ll bring a new philosophy and competence to the position.”

The outgoing governor left little room for interpretation with the mention of “competence.”

After years of taking Cuomo’s attacks on the chin, de Blasio began to fight back more fiercely in late 2020 and early 2021.

The term-limited mayor said Cuomo’s “bullying is nothing new” in a TV appearance back in February, and as the governor’s several ongoing scandals escalated, de Blasio became increasingly vocal about his frustrations.

Mayor de Blasio’s staff also threw some shots in, with his press secretary saying “serial sexual assaulter says what?” when asked about allegations against Cuomo.

The precise origins of the feud have remain unknown, with Cuomo and de Blasio carrying out an uneventful relationship from their time together at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) until de Blasio won the 2013 NYC mayoral race.

As time went on with the pair in office, tense joint appearances were replaced by one of the two holding an event hours before the other, often with each lawmaker contradicting the other on specific policy issues. This came to a head during the pandemic, when de Blasio would signal one public health response only to have Cuomo undermine him with a state directive.

Cuomo and de Blasio were notably at odds over whether to issue a shelter in place order at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Big Apple.

The governor even reportedly kept a dartboard with de Blasio’s face on it, but since it was located by the pool of the governor’s mansion, the dartboard – and possibly his dog, Captain – will need a new home now that Cuomo is moving out.

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Andrew Cuomo will be the subject of an off-Broadway musical written by a political consultant he prosecuted and put in prison

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks to the media at a news conference in Manhattan on May 5, 2021 in New York City.
Outgoing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

  • An off-Broadway musical about NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been green lit for previews in the fall.
  • ‘A Turtle on a Fence Post’ was written by a political consultant while he was in prison.
  • The writer, Hank Morris, was prosecuted by Cuomo while he was NY attorney general.
  • See more stories on Insider’s business page.

There aren’t many opportunities for Andrew Cuomo and Alexander Hamilton to be mentioned in the same conversation, but both are now subjects of musicals.

An off-Broadway musical titled “A Turtle on a Fence Post” will debut for previews by late October in Manhattan, Variety reported on Thursday.

“The play is based on true events, but it’s a fictionalized version of my journey and what happened to me and how it changed me,” political consultant and newly minted playwright Hank Morris told Variety. “The principal antagonist in the play is a bullying governor named Andrew Cuomo.”

By the end of next Monday at the stroke of midnight, Cuomo will no longer be governor following his resignation announcement amid a sexual harassment scandal.

Morris was prosecuted by Cuomo in 2010 over a pension fraud pay-to-play scheme.

While in prison, Morris began writing the musical. The script was written under the pseudonym “Prisoner #11RO731,” according to Variety.

The setting of the play will be “in a comedy club and a correctional institution, while telling the story of the rise and fall of one of New York’s most powerful men,” according to the report.

“Political insiders knew the story, but the general public is going to be more open to hearing my story and hearing what he’s capable of,” Morris told Variety.

Morris was granted parole after serving over two years in a state correctional facility and 13 days in the infamous Rikers Island jail.

“The show has a universal message,” the playwright told Variety. “To me the message is life’s pretty good no matter how many twists and turns you experience and you should make the best of it. You’re lucky to be here. The second message is that we all make our own prisons and we’re the only ones who can set ourselves free.”

Previews will begin on Oct. 26, with the full premiere set for Nov. 14.

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New York lawmakers mull renaming the Mario Cuomo Bridge following Andrew’s resignation announcement

New York governor Andrew Cuomo drives a 1955 Chevrolet Corvette with World War II veteran Armando "Chick" Gallela, during a dedication ceremony for the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge that is to replace the current Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., August 24, 2017.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (right).

REUTERS/Mike Segar

  • One of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proudest accomplishments may be undone.
  • State and local lawmakers are looking at renaming the Mario Cuomo Bridge.
  • Cuomo’s impending resignation and multiple scandals prompted the move.
  • See more stories on Insider’s business page.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s father once said the only thing he ever wanted named after him was “a stickball court in a little alley in Queens.”

Following his son’s resignation announcement and the looming end of the Cuomo era in Albany, the late governor’s wish may come true.

A bill has been revived in the state legislature that would change the name of the nearly $4 billion Mario Cuomo Bridge back to it its original one, according to Spectrum News.

The Tappan Zee Bridge was demolished after the completion of the Mario Cuomo Bridge, but right from the start in 2017, lawmakers in the lower Hudson Valley were not pleased with the governor naming the new span after his father.

Still referred to by locals as the Tappan Zee, the old name combined the name of the Native American tribe in the region (Tappan) with the Dutch word for sea (Zee).

The east anchor span of the old Tappan Zee Bridge is demolished by explosives into the Hudson River in front of the new Mario Cuomo Bridge in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., January 15, 2019.
The east anchor span of the old Tappan Zee Bridge is demolished by explosives into the Hudson River in front of the new Mario Cuomo Bridge in Tarrytown, New York, U.S., January 15, 2019.

REUTERS/Mike Segar

The bridge was also the subject of one of the scandals plaguing Cuomo’s third term, with “structural issues” – including snapping bolts – allegedly being covered up by the private contractor in charge of its construction.

Amid Cuomo’s downfall, there appears to be a renewed and bigger push for the name change, even among Democrats, according to Spectrum News.

Republicans have also been eager to bring up some of their longstanding grievances again.

“If he could have named it the Andrew Cuomo Bridge, he would have, but he couldn’t, and so he settled for Mario,” Assemblyman Mike Lawler, a Rockland County Republican, told Spectrum. “So I think it’s really time to get the Cuomo name off the bridge and revert it back to the Tappan Zee.”

“Given the governor’s conduct and the scandals swirling around him, both the sexual harassment and the nursing home scandal, as well as his $5.1 million blood money book deal, I think now is the right time to change the name back,” Lawler added.

State Sen. James Skoufis, an Orange County Democrat, introduced a bill alongside the one to rename the bridge that would deny Cuomo the $50,000 per year pension he’s set to receive upon leaving office.

“If it’s good enough for the entry level state employee, it should be good enough for the governor of New York state,” Skoufis said of the bill, which is technically a constitutional amendment.

Back in 2017, Cuomo defended naming the bridge after his father.

“One day this bridge will no longer exist,” Cuomo said, “and if they build a new bridge – well this bridge is supposed to last 100 years, or we get a discount – if it comes down then they’ll build a new bridge and name it after somebody else.”

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New York lawmakers reverse course, announce they’ll finish Cuomo impeachment probe and release a final report

Cuomo
Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York.

Carlo Allegri/Pool via AP

  • Top New York legislative Democrats will complete their impeachment investigation of Gov. Cuomo.
  • State Assembly leaders are reversing course after initially stating they would suspend the probe.
  • Cuomo will resign from office effective August 25 over sexual harassment allegations.
  • See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Top Democrats in the New York state legislature will complete their impeachment investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, reversing course after announcing they’d suspend the impeachment probe on Friday due to Cuomo’s imminent resignation from office.

“The Assembly Judiciary Committee will continue to review evidence and issue a final report on its investigation of Governor Cuomo,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblyman Charles Levine, chair of the chamber’s Judiciary Committee, said in a Monday statement.

“In doing so, the committee will take all appropriate steps to ensure that this effort does not interfere with various ongoing investigations by the United States Attorney concerning nursing home data; the attorney general concerning the Governor’s memoir; and local law enforcement authorities in five jurisdictions…concerning allegations of sexual harassment,” the statement continued.

Cuomo announced he plans to resign from office, effective August 25, after a bombshell report by independent investigators hired by the New York attorney general’s office concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women as governor.

Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul will take over as governor upon Cuomo’s resignation.

The impeachment probe, which is separate from the attorney general’s investigation, is examining the sexual harassment allegations, whether the Cuomo administration deliberately undercounted and covered up nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, and if Cuomo abused state resources to write a book on his handling of the pandemic.

As Heastie’s and Levine’s statement noted, those matters are also the subject of other civil and criminal investigations at the federal, state, and local levels.

State assembly leaders initially stated that they would shutter the impeachment investigation, launched in March, and turn their findings over to law enforcement. The move drew criticism from Cuomo accuser Charlotte Bennet, who said Heastie was “taking the coward’s way out.”

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Incoming New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she’s not ruling out a statewide vaccine mandate

New York Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a news conference the day after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation at the New York State Capitol, in Albany, New York, U.S., August 11, 2021.
Incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul

REUTERS/Cindy Schultz

  • Kathy Hochul, NY’s incoming governor, said she’s not yet ruling out the possibility of mandating a statewide vaccine for indoor activities.
  • “I’m open to all options,” she told CNN Sunday. “I’ll be looking at the possibility of mandates.”
  • She also said she supports mandating the wearing of face masks for children in school.
  • See more stories on Insider’s business page.

Kathy Hochul, New York’s incoming governor, on Sunday said she’s not ruling out the possibility of mandating a statewide vaccine for indoor activities amid a surge in COVID-19 cases brought about by the Delta variant.

“I’m open to all options,” she told CNN’s State of the Union. “I’ll be looking at the possibility of mandates, but not saying they’re in or out until I know all the facts.”

Hochul, 62, who takes over the position of Gov. Andrew Cuomo by the end of August following his resignation, said she’s assembling a team of experts to help her layout all scenarios and is planning to discuss the situation with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, as well.

“I want to bring the best and the brightest to deal with this,” she told CNN, explaining how she plans to strategize her policy to curb the spread of the virus.

She did clarify that she supports mandating the wearing of face masks for children in school ahead of the fall class opening.

“This is something that I believe has to occur to make sure that our teachers are safe, the administrators are safe,” she told CNN. “I’m a mom. I know how this feels. I will get this right.”

As for mandating vaccines for teachers, she said she does not have the executive power to do that.

“I’m willing to speak to our legislative leaders and to take whatever action I need to protect people,” Hochul told CNN.

The sitting lieutenant governor highlighted how the situation continues to change, which is why she wants to avoid making “hard and fast rules” only to reverse them the following month. She did reiterate how her main goal is to get more people vaccinated.

Currently, around 75% of New Yorkers above 18 years old have received at least one dose.

Hochul also expressed openness to speak with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“I want to roll up my sleeves and sit down with the mayor of New York – the current and the incoming mayors -and say, let’s solve the scale,” she told CNN. “How about doing it together and not in competition.”

Cuomo and de Blasio have had an ongoing feud ever since the mayor took office in 2014.

As for Cuomo’s sexual harassment scandal and suspended impeachment investigation, Hochul said she will not allow herself to be distracted.

“I’ll be laser-focused on dealing with COVID, getting our economy back, getting kids back in schools, and dealing with a whole host of other challenges that I’m prepared for,” she said.

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