| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio | Presented by AARP NY | Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he was not aware of a sixth allegation of inappropriate behavior leveled at him, but reiterated on Tuesday that he believes his physical contact has never crossed unsafe boundaries. "I never touched anyone inappropriately. I never made any inappropriate advances," he said on a conference call with reporters shortly after the Times Union reported that an Executive Chamber employee said Cuomo inappropriately touched her after she was summoned to the governor's mansion for work. The latest accuser was not identified and did not file a formal complaint, but her account was reported to the governor's counsel by other staff. That allegation and any others are being reported to the attorney general's investigative team, Cuomo counsel Beth Garvey says. SIDE NOTE: This is a good time to think about how scary it can be to come forward with a story if you were already scared of the office and its staff in the first place. Read The New Yorker's Eric Lach: Who Ordered A Smear Campaign Against Andrew Cuomo's First Accuser? The governor is facing calls for his resignation from officials from the Senate majority leader on down, as well as an effort to impeach him, though the latter does not seem to be going anywhere fast . His rapid fall from grace represents a stark reversal from just weeks ago, when he was widely expected to run for a fourth term, and probably win. Will he still run? That question was finally put to Cuomo on Tuesday, and the words he said in response definitely did not answer it. "You don't know any facts, right? You know allegations. You don't know facts. Let's operate on facts. And we're having the investigation," Cuomo said. "Let's get the facts, and then we can have a discussion on the facts." IT'S WEDNESDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com, or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold WHERE'S ANDREW? In Albany with no public events scheduled. WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability. ABOVE THE FOLD: THERE WAS A TIME not too long ago when Letitia "Tish" James's tenure as New York attorney general was defined by one thing — the utter certitude with which she vowed to hold Donald Trump accountable for his political, personal and corporate offenses. Now, the 62-year-old James is known for something else: Her decision to confront her own political patron, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, over his handling of nursing-home deaths and then stiff-arm his attempts to maintain control of an investigation into his own behavior in office Suddenly, one of the state's most underestimated politicians may be holding the future of New York politics in her hands, even while she herself gets mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate. Meanwhile, Empire State pols are scrambling to reassess a woman who's a mystery to many outside of her willingness to take on the former president... It doesn't necessarily matter what James's intentions in releasing the nursing-home report may have been, said several current and former Cuomo aides, having watched the scandal snowball amid demands for a federal probe and threats of a primary challenge to the once-invincible governor. "It's a kill shot," said one person who is now involved in New York City politics. "Or at least that's how the governor's people will see it." And now James is overseeing a probe that could determine whether Cuomo keeps his job. Anna Gronewold for POLITICO Magazine SIGN UP: POLITICO this week is hosting "The Fifty: America's Governors," a series of back-to-back, live conversations with six governors from across the U.S. The conversations will cover how these governors are confronting the multiple crises that have hit the country within the past year — from the global pandemic and ensuing economic recession, sudden shift to remote schooling, racial injustice and police brutality protests and the fallout from the tense presidential election. Thursday starting at 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT. You can register to watch live. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TO JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION: Power dynamics are changing. "Influence" is changing. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is our new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. And POLITICO is recasting how we report on this crucial intersection, bringing you fresh insights, scoops, dispatches from across the country and new voices that challenge "business as usual." Don't miss out on this important new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | |
|  | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | NEW YORK's battered Republican Party has been presented with an unexpected gift as three-term Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo tries to weave back together the tatters of a reputation torn apart by scandal. So how will the party — which hasn't won a statewide election in nearly two decades — capitalize on its good fortune? Possibly by doing nothing, according to party officials and political operatives familiar with party leadership. While Republicans in the state Assembly, who have no actual power in the chamber, are preparing a resolution to begin impeachment proceedings against the governor, the broader approach appears to be more passive as next year's gubernatorial election approaches. One Republican predicted there wouldn't be rallies to remind voters of the ongoing nursing home scandal. Nor will there be any lavish fundraisers seeking to exploit sexual harassment accusations made against the governor. There's a strategic edge behind this apparent inaction. New York Republicans say they don't need to lob the kind of explosive attacks associated with the party under former President Donald Trump. As Cuomo continues to lose his grasp on power, they are simply waiting for Democrats to eat their own. POLITICO's Michelle Bocanegra and Anna Gronewold — MEANWHILE, GOP IN THE LEGISLATURE: State Senate Republicans are taking steps to force a vote on one of the most mocked products of the Covid era: $1 Cuomo Chips. Legislators have had the power for the past year to block the governor's directives by passing resolutions that don't require his signature. But despite criticisms over Cuomo's use of his emergency powers, no members have ever proposed a single such resolution, which Minority Leader Rob Ortt said is evidence that Democrats "want the governor to make all the hard decisions [and] take all the criticism." Last week, he said Republicans would start attempting to put members on the record by forcing up-and-down votes on specific directives. Ortt has now introduced a resolution to repeal the executive order that requires all bar attendees to purchase food to accompany their cocktails. — Bill Mahoney THE HEADLINE SAYS IT ALL: Before Determining This Year's State Budget, Albany Lawmakers Must First Decipher Last Year's: "The $12.5 billion in direct federal aid New York State will receive from the relief package passed over the weekend comes at a crucial time: next year's budget is due on April 1st, and the legislature is poised to wield an unprecedented amount of leverage against an embattled governor to advance their priorities of higher taxes on the wealthy and delivering aid to struggling New Yorkers. But there's still some unfinished business that complicates this year's budget planning. Under the unusual authority granted to Governor Andrew Cuomo by the legislature last spring at the height of the pandemic, the executive branch was allowed to 'withhold' budgeted money to get through uncertain times. Those 'withholdings' — which are effectively cuts — amounted to roughly $3 billion, according to a recent state comptroller's report. "The governor's budget office has only alerted the legislature to a fraction of that withheld money, according to Freedom of Information Requests filed by the government watchdog group, Reinvent Albany. 'The public does not know which agencies and authorities had money withheld, and how much was withheld,' said John Kaehny, the group's executive director. 'That's super important, because they're going into this budget on the legislature side, blind.'" Gothamist's Christopher Robbins "A JANUARY update to the website of the New York State Board of Elections (BOE), meant to make it easier to upload and access campaign finance data, has instead made it extremely difficult for good government watchdogs, journalists, and interested citizens to access campaign finance data, leaving New Yorkers in the dark about who is funding their elected officials' campaigns. 'Trying to use the website is like trying to use a website when you're not connected to the internet, and so every time you click a button it stops and it doesn't have the information,' Jeff Coltin, a senior reporter at political news site City & State, told New York Focus. 'It's frustrating and at times infuriating, because this is a source of information that I use for reporting and for accountability, and I basically can't use it anymore.'" NY Focus's Jeff Coltin #UpstateAmerica: The investigation into the Buffalo Mafia (no, not that one) continues. | | WHAT CITY HALL'S READING | | "NEW YORKERS age 60 and up can sign up for Covid-19 vaccinations beginning Wednesday as the flow of vaccine supplies continues to improve, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. People age 60 and up can sign up for appointments at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, said at a news conference Tuesday. There are about 500,000 residents in the state between the ages of 60 to 64 that previously weren't eligible for the vaccine who will now qualify with this expansion, according to the governor's office. Currently, New Yorkers age 65 and up are eligible for the vaccine. The state is also expanding vaccination eligibility on March 17 to certain essential workers that interact with the public, Mr. Cuomo said. This includes some government employees, building workers and certain nonprofit employees. Others who will qualify also include social-service and child-service caseworkers, sanitation workers and employees working in the state Department of Motor Vehicles… "Meanwhile in New York City, officials are hiring 2,000 people from 33 neighborhoods hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic to work at vaccine sites, Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said at a separate news conference on Tuesday. This is part of the city's efforts to get residents reluctant to take the vaccine to become comfortable with the process." Wall Street Journal's Joseph De Avila "NEW YORK CITY is creating a $65 million fund to help taxi medallion owners, but drivers called the plan 'a disgraceful betrayal from a city that already has blood on its hands.' The proposal, funded with federal stimulus money, will offer $20,000 loans to help restructure debts on taxi medallions, and as much as $9,000 in debt payment support, said Taxi and Limousine Commissioner Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk. 'I think this new plan will be a difference maker for many drivers,' Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. But Bhairavi Desai, executive director of the 21,000-member Taxi Workers Alliance, said the plan is 'horrible' and 'does absolutely nothing for us.' 'It's a cash bailout for lenders while we are left to drown in debt, foreclosure & bankruptcy," Desai said in a Twitter post. 'No debt forgiveness. No collective solution. No justice.'" Bloomberg's Henry Goldman "NEW YORK CITY will move to stop punishing its inmates by placing them in solitary confinement , Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday, calling the practice a mistaken approach that only serves to set back rehabilitation of prisoners. Corrections officials are proposing a trailblazing plan to replace solitary confinement and other restrictive forms of housing with more humane alternatives, as well as education and training, de Blasio said. 'We're going to go farther than any jail system in America by creating positive alternatives,' the mayor said at a news briefing. 'Working with our Board of Corrections, we found a plan that will work and that will provide a safe environment for those who are incarcerated and officers alike.' The proposal follows the city's move in 2015 to end solitary confinement for inmates aged 16-to-21 and for people with serious mental illness. The city said that had already contributed to an 81% decrease in use of the practice." Reuters' Peter Szekely — City jails did not count the Covid-19 deaths of at least three inmates who died after being sent to the hospital. COUNCIL SPEAKER Corey Johnson officially announced his run for city comptroller Tuesday after weeks of dropping hints, assembling a campaign team and signing up for a candidate forum before he'd formally declared. His entry upends the dynamics of the contest and marks Johnson's return to the political arena after dropping out of the mayoral primary in September and largely retreating from the public eye for six months. "I have refused to let my most challenging moments define me. And we are in a challenging moment right now," Johnson said to a socially distanced crowd Tuesday at Madison Square Park. "I am running to be the next comptroller of New York City. And I have one mission: to better the lives of New Yorkers." Johnson said he would focus on ridding the pension funds of outsize fees to hedge fund managers, ensuring equitable city contracts and holding City Hall accountable as the city's chief auditor. POLITICO's Joe Anuta and Jonathan Custodio "A MAJOR NEW lawsuit filed Tuesday could force fundamental changes to how New York City's public school students are admitted into selective schools, and marked the latest front in a growing political, activist and now legal movement to confront inequality in the nation's largest school system. Even if the suit, brought by civil rights attorneys and student plaintiffs in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, does not upend the city's admissions system, it will likely prompt scrutiny of New York's school system, considered among the most racially and socioeconomically segregated in the country. The suit argues that the city's school system has replicated and worsened racial inequality by sorting children into different academic tracks as early as kindergarten, and has therefore denied many of its roughly one million students of their right to a sound, basic education. Defendants include Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and the incoming schools chancellor, Meisha Porter." The New York Times' Eliza Shapiro | | | | Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today. | | | | |
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | "REP. ALEXANDRIA Ocasio-Cortez and eight congressional colleagues from New York City say they oppose fossil fuel giant NRG's plan to convert its Astoria oil-burning power plant into a natural gas facility as the state seeks to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. NRG, one of the nation's largest energy companies, is seeking state approval to overhaul the decades-old Astoria 'peaker' plant to burn natural gas, which they say produces fewer emissions than oil. The facility pumps pollutants into the atmosphere as it generates extra electricity when power use surges in New York City, like during heatwaves. The nine representatives criticized the project in a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday, saying the proposal would move the state further from its goal of slashing fossil fuel use." Queens Eagle's David Brand HOUSE DEMOCRATS' campaign arm is officially ending its controversial ban on political consultants who work with candidates challenging sitting Democratic incumbents in primaries, clinching a major victory for progressives. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), the newly installed chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, officially reversed the policy on Tuesday morning. He initially pledged to nix it during his campaign for the chair role and finalized it this week. Though it was in place for fewer than two years, it still stymied some liberal primary challengers and incensed the left, which celebrated its end. "It's an enormous win," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said. POLITICO's Ally Mutnick | | TRUMP'S NEW YORK | | "A NEW YORK Supreme Court justice on Tuesday dismissed a Trump campaign lawsuit claiming the New York Times defamed the former president by publishing an opinion piece that accused him of colluding with Russia in the 2016 election. The Trump camp's lawsuit failed to show that the Gray Lady acted with actual malice — a high legal bar required for successful defamation actions — by publishing the March 2019 piece entitled 'The Real Trump-Russia Quid Pro Quo,' Justice James d'Auguste wrote in a ruling." New York Daily News' Chris Sommerfeldt | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — The New York State Thruway Authority is defending the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. — Cuomo still won't release the ethics clearance letter for his book deal. — De Blasio gave a flat "no" when asked if he believes Cuomo's defenses against sexual harassment allegations. — Lobbyist Suri Kasirer agreed to a $5,000 settlement with the state ethics watchdog over her firm's dealings with the non-profit group created to promote de Blasio's agenda. — Materials from the first Covid-19 vaccination in the country, given at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, will be donated to the Smithsonian. — A bill advancing through the state Legislature would remove terms like "lunatic" from state law. — The MTA has fired an employee who called in sick and participated in the Capitol riot. — Police responded to a 911 call about banging and screaming a day before a 10-year-old Harlem boy was killed. — Andrew Yang wants the subway to be free for a week over Memorial Day. — The Civilian Complaint Review Board has yet to release findings on about 750 complaints of NYPD abuse against Black Lives Matter protesters last year. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Jim Sciutto … Jon Haber … Cari Lutkins … POLITICO's Brad Dayspring ... CNBC's David Faber … Carrie Filipetti … Vernon Loeb … Alina Cho ... Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter ... NYT's Danny Hakim is 5-0 … Mike Callahan MEDIAWATCH — "HuffPost officially merged with BuzzFeed on February 16. Less than a month later, the site's staff is being dramatically cut. BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti announced Tuesday that 47 HuffPost employees in the US would be laid off and that HuffPost Canada would be shut down, affecting 23 employees. HuffPost union said the cuts in the US affected 33 of its members, representing 30% of its unit." CNN's Kerry Flynn — Paul Miller, aka DJ Spooky, a musician and writer, is now editor at large of the Brooklyn Rail. MAKING MOVES — Valarie De La Garza has been named CEO of Fenton Communications. She previously led communications and marketing for the California Community Foundation. WHAT WALL STREET IS READING — "Exclusive: Goldman Sachs Invests $10 Billion In New 'One Million Black Women' Initiative," by Essence's Kimberly Wilson | | REAL ESTATE | | IF REP. MARCIA FUDGE IS CONFIRMED as housing secretary on Wednesday as expected, she'll be confronting a cascade of crises : millions of people facing eviction amid a pandemic, a rise in homelessness, soaring housing prices worsening a years-long affordable housing crunch. But when Fudge reports for work at the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Brutalist headquarters in Southwest D.C. — what her predecessor Ben Carson called the "ugliest building" in the city — she'll also be taking over an agency that is itself in crisis. POLITICO's Katy O'Donnell and Maya King "THE BILLIONAIRE DEVELOPER Stephen M. Ross is rallying fellow business leaders to commit tens of millions of dollars in an effort to push moderate Democrats to vote in the June mayoral primary in New York and 'change the future course of the city.' Mr. Ross has scheduled a meeting for Monday to detail his plans to launch the super PAC to 'help us get this mayoral election right,' according to an email he sent to colleagues that was reviewed by The New York Times. The campaign would not initially support a specific candidate, but Mr. Ross, the chairman and founder of Related Companies, stressed that the 'winner of the Democratic primary for mayor in June will decide if NYC will rebound or languish.'" The New York Times' Dana Rubinstein
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