NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A fellow Democratic mayoral candidate, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, slammed Andrew Cuomo on Monday for allegedly using millions in taxpayer dollars to mount a legal defense against the accusations of sexual harassment that led to his resignation as governor in 2021.
Lander drew on reports that Cuomo has used $28 million in taxpayer dollars to mount his legal defense fund against the 13 women who have accused him of sexual harassment, and said that if the ex-governor wants to be mayor of NYC, he needs to return those funds.
“If Andrew Cuomo cared about New Yorkers, rather than just himself, he would reimburse the taxpayers for the millions of their money that he spent for his personal benefit, so that this money can instead fund vital services like housing, afterschool, and pre-K,” Lander said. “If he refuses to do so, it will only reinforce what we already know: Andrew Cuomo is in it for himself — and just more of the same scandal, chaos, and corruption that does nothing to improve New Yorkers’ lives.”
A report from the state attorney general found that Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women, while a separate investigation by the Department of Justice found that he subjected at least 13 state employees to a sexually hostile work environment, and that his staffers retaliated against those who complained.
Cuomo denounced the findings of the reports and maintained his innocence during his resignation. He also denied Lander’s allegations Monday through campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi, who claimed that a chunk of the $28 million figure was about COVID-19 investigations by the Justice Department.
At the time of his resignation, Cuomo was further damaged by allegations that his administration unintentionally contributed to a wave of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.
“New Yorkers can smell political garbage a mile away and while some people are leaning on debunked lies to try and gain a political advantage, we’re looking toward the future,” Azzopardi said. “New York City is in crisis and they know Governor Cuomo has the experience and the record of success to save our city and make it a [safe] and affordable place to live for all.”
At his press conference denouncing Cuomo for his use of taxpayer funds, Lander was joined by co-founder of the Sexual Harassment Working Group Erica Vladimer, who thinks that the former governor “has no business being an elected official.”
“Andrew Cuomo has spent the past four years tormenting the women he harassed in our court system—all at taxpayers’ expense,” Vladimer said. “Twenty-eight million dollars—and counting—later, he now wants to regain power he clearly doesn't deserve. Once a corrupt power abuser, always a corrupt power abuser.”
Vladimer lamented the financial burden of the legal system on Cuomo’s alleged victims while he uses taxpayer dollars, and claimed that workers in a system with such an imbalance of power and money are not safe. She also spoke at a women’s protest held Sunday in Manhattan, outside where Cuomo was addressing the New York City Council of Carpenters.
Lander said that the $28 million figure could be used in NYC to provide 4,500 afterschool slots, 1,000 new pre-K slots, 33,000 new summer youth employment slots, 500 domestic violence shelter beds or 1,200 supportive housing units.
Cuomo launched his campaign with a 17-minute video on Saturday and is off to an aggressive start, making frequent campaign stops and racking up endorsements from key players like the carpenters’ union, District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres, Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia and Assemblyman Eddie Gibbs.