Mayor Eric Adams on Saturday blasted rival Andrew Cuomo for stepping down as governor as he was being investigated over sexual harassment allegations — and swiping his political “playbook” by operating for mayor as an impartial.
“Pay attention, he comes from a preferred title. His dad was an excellent governor. His dad stood for 3 phrases and did an excellent job. Within the midst of his obligations to the state, he stepped down,” Adams informed The Put up whereas attending the seventy fifth anniversary celebration of NYCHA Bronx River Homes on the Bronx Neighborhood Heart.
“Private strife mustn’t trigger you to depart workplace. Throughout my private strife, I stepped up. I continued to ship for the town,” stated Hizzoner, who had his historic bribery and fraud fees dismissed by the Trump administration earlier this 12 months.
Cuomo, who has lengthy disputed allegations of sexual harassment by a number of girls, has been fiercely criticized over his administration’s disastrous March 2020 choice to ship contaminated COVID-19 sufferers into nursing houses, which resulted in as many as 15,000 deaths.
Adams, who’s operating for re-election as an impartial himself, additionally accused Cuomo of repeatedly attempting to sabotage black politicians to claw again energy.
“That is his historical past, and he’s utilizing the identical playbook in my mayoralty,” Adams stated.
“He ran within the main, he misplaced by double digits. He knew I used to be gonna run in a normal election. Why would he throw his title in as an impartial as properly, except he thought he was gonna do to me what he did to others, and it simply didn’t occur.”
Cuomo rapidly tossed his hat into the race as an impartial after a humiliating loss to socialist Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani in final month’s Democratic main election.
The embattled mayor continued to pour salt on the wound, slamming the ex-gov for spending thousands and thousands to defend himself in opposition to the sexual misconduct claims — whereas 1000’s died in nursing houses underneath his watch throughout the peak of the pandemic.
“His document has been painful to our cities, and I needed to repair his mess,” Adams lamented.
Cuomo was additionally accused of undercounting the nursing dwelling dying toll by as a lot as 50%, one other declare for which he denied all wrongdoing.
The Metropolis Corridor wannabe — who attended the identical Bronx occasion and missed his frosty opponent by half-hour — pushed again on Adams’ claims he hijacked his marketing campaign method.
“He dropped out of the first as a result of Democrats wouldn’t vote for him,” a spry Cuomo shot again, including that his one remorse was not being extra direct in his messaging to voters forward of the first.
He believes the final election will drive the next turnout — and that surge will assist him outpoll Mamdani for mayor.
“I stayed within the main, and 400,000 Democrats voted for me,” Cuomo stated.
“The individuals who voted for me within the main, I consider they’re going to vote for me in November. There’s no new Andrew Cuomo.”
