New leaked sound shows how far the struggle was under Governor Andrew Cuomo to threaten his critics.
A New York Times podcast on Friday revealed the sound of a 2018 phone conversation in which Cuomo threatened to compare a progressive leader to a ‘child rapist’ because he was not happy with the group’s lukewarm political endorsement of him. not.
The survey contributes to the growing revelations against the executive in New York dealing with claims of sexual harassment and bullying.
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The New York Times reported the text of the telephone conversation between Cuomo and Bill Lipton, the leader of the Working Families Party, in February. At the time, Cuomo’s office said the exchange was untrue.
But on Friday, The Times’ ‘Daily’ podcast published the sound of the call confirming that Cuomo had indeed threatened to label his critic as a better alternative to a pedophile over a mere political dispute.
The Working Families Party (WFP) supported actress Cynthia Nixon, ‘Sex and the City’, over Cuomo during the Democratic primary in 2018. After Nixon lost, the WFP decided to support Cuomo in the November general election as a better alternative to Republican Marc Molinaro.
“If you ever say, ‘Well, he’s better than a Republican,’ then I’d say, ‘You’re better than a child rapist. ‘ How are you? ‘According to the New York Times audio, Cuomo is heard telling Lipton during the call.
US HEALTH VIRUS CUOMO New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks to people at a vaccination site in New York on March 8, 2021. (Photo by Seth Wenig / POOL / AFP) (Photo by SETH WENIG / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
Lipton tells Cuomo that they have differences and that it is good for both sides to point it out. “Governor, I apologize, but I have to clarify one thing. You’re free to say what you want, Governor, but I just want to be clear. Our line is going to be that we have differences with you, but our differences with Republicans. is much bigger, ‘says Lipton.
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Angry at the lack of support, Cuomo then reiterates his threat: “I think you’re better off as a child rapist.”
A spokesman for the governor, who was reached by Fox News on Saturday, said Cuomo did not remember the exchange with Lipton.
“This three-year-old conversation took place after a very controversial political campaign where things were accused from all sides,” Rich Azzopardi said in a statement to Fox News. “He can not remember that it took place, but from the way it was described, he was clearly hyperbolic to illustrate the abusive nature of the WFP’s own name call.”
The new sound adds feed to the growing list of people coming forward and saying that over a period of time they have had to endure years of bullying and threats from the governor. The bullying allegations are in addition to at least eight women who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment and misconduct.
On Friday, Alyssa McGrath, the current aide to Cuomo, was the youngest woman to come forward. She described several cases of alleged misconduct in an interview with the New York Times. According to her, Cuomo commented on her appearance and stained her body in the workplace.
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The allegations come because Cuomo has already been embroiled in a coronavirus scandal, where his office is accused of covering the true number of deaths in the nursing home after his controversial policy of requiring nursing homes to release COVID-positive patients released from hospitals , to record.
Cuomo refused to resign despite growing calls for him to step down as a leading Democrat.
Thomas Barrabi of Fox News contributed to this report.