Cuomo lays reduced following evident questioning in AG’s sex harassment probe
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo was nevertheless lying lower Wednesday after his evident weekend grilling above sexual harassment allegations — leading critics to accuse him of ducking the media to stay clear of becoming asked what he instructed investigators.
Cuomo’s community routine set him in Albany with no community appearances and marked a whole week because his last news conference, when he joined Democratic mayoral prospect Eric Adams and other officials in Brooklyn to examine surging gun violence.
The final time Cuomo has absent that very long without getting queries from reporters amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was an eight-day stretch between Feb. 22 and March 3.
That spell of silence was sparked by the accusations leveled on Feb. 24 by former aide Lindsey Boylan, who claimed Cuomo had unexpectedly kissed her “on the lips” in his Manhattan workplace and asked her to enjoy strip poker on his official condition jet.
Cuomo canceled a planned teleconference with reporters shortly just after Boylan detailed her allegations in an essay posted on the Medium site, which speedily led many other women of all ages to occur forward with their individual accounts of alleged mistreatment by the three-term Democrat.
On Saturday, he was scheduled to be questioned by outside the house lawyers employed by condition Legal professional Basic Letitia James to examine the many sexual harassment allegations.
Cuomo spent just about 13 several hours that working day in Manhattan, seemingly assembly with the probers via Zoom, as some of his accusers have claimed they did formerly.
A member of Cuomo’s security detail was photographed escorting the transfer of 4 cardboard file packing containers — two of which had been wrapped with purple evidence tape — out of the developing at 633 Third Ave. that residences Cuomo’s office on Saturday night.
Cuomo was also photographed boarding a state law enforcement helicopter at the West 30th Road VIP Heliport a limited time later.
Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens), an outspoken critic, reported that Cuomo “can’t operate and cover from the truth permanently.”
“Cuomo’s probably gearing up to attack the trustworthiness of the point out attorney typical and investigators although preparing for a different point out of unexpected emergency or a sports activities-similar event,” Kim claimed.
“I’m hoping we are close to the finish of the open up investigations to lastly have some accountability.”
Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R-Syracuse) also mentioned, “Public relations has usually been the prime priority for this governor, and that is what is playing out right now.”
“Avoiding hard thoughts and dodging interactions with the media is a reflection of somebody in harm regulate, not of a leader who values transparency,” Barclay added.
In reaction to concerns previous week, Cuomo spokesman Prosperous Azzopardi continuously released a well prepared statement saying that his boss “doesn’t want to remark on this evaluate right up until he has cooperated.”
Azzopardi didn’t straight away return a ask for for remark on Wednesday.
In addition to the AG’s probe, federal authorities are investigating the Cuomo administration’s pandemic-associated dealing with of nursing homes and its admitted deal with-up of complete resident fatalities from the coronavirus, as effectively as the governor’s $5.1 million offer for his memoir, “American Disaster: Management Classes from the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
The point out Assembly’s Judiciary Committee is also conducting a broad-ranging impeachment inquiry.
Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing.