News : POLITICO New York Playbook: Cuomo’s exit smooths path for next mayor — SCOTUS blocks part of New York’s eviction ban

Friday, August 13, 2021

POLITICO New York Playbook: Cuomo’s exit smooths path for next mayor — SCOTUS blocks part of New York’s eviction ban — NYC population surges to 8.8M

Aug 13, 2021

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Téa Kvetenadze

Andrew Cuomo's resignation over sexual harassment allegations not only ends his lengthy run as governor — it will also bring an end to a long-running story in New York politics: The Feud, that sometimes one-sided battle where the governor lost no opportunity to needle, undermine, embarrass, and otherwise vex Mayor Bill de Blasio. One of the winners? The city's next mayor, likely Eric Adams, who will instead have to build a relationship with Kathy Hochul.

Hochul, by all accounts, will be looking to make friends, especially after she announced she plans to seek a full term as governor next year. The incoming governor isn't well-known in the five boroughs, and will be seeking to introduce herself and build support among voters of color. "She's not going to want a war with the mayor of New York City," said political consultant Chris Coffey, who has advised Michael Bloomberg, Andrew Yang and other leading Democrats.

Electoral dynamics aside, Kathy Hochul is, to put it mildly, a very different person than Andrew M. Cuomo, and that could work to the next mayor's benefit as well as he seeks to advance an agenda in Albany. "She is the kind of woman who will be open to other people's ideas and recommendations and thoughts," said Karen Hinton, a former aide to both de Blasio and Cuomo. "More estrogen and less testosterone will go a long way." Or, as former deputy mayor Alicia Glen put it, the first woman governor just might be willing to "put away some of the petty crap and get things done."

The current mayor is also in pretty good spirits after the fall of his fiercest rival. Bill de Blasio was off on vacation in New England but just had to rush back because it was very hot out, and reporters just so happened to want his take on Cuomo's demise. De Blasio obliged: "Let's be clear: He did horrible things. In the end, history will judge him harshly."

IT'S FRIDAY. 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? No public schedule yet.

WHERE'S BILL? In New York City with no public events scheduled.

WHERE'S KATHY? No public schedule yet.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "What I was doing in those five days is staving off these ridiculous situations that were coming my way." — Former New York Gov. David Paterson, calling Cuomo's 14-day transition period "suspicious" compared to the five days he got before taking office

ABOVE THE FOLD — Supreme Court blocks part of New York's pandemic eviction ban, POLITICO's Josh Gerstein and Janaki Chadha: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued an emergency order blocking a New York state law aimed at protecting renters from eviction during the coronavirus pandemic. The move, which came at the request of landlords and over the dissent of the court's three Democratic appointees, is another signal that virus-related eviction bans are in serious danger at the high court. However, the new order's significance for the ban President Joe Biden's administration reimposed last week under intense pressure from liberal activists is unclear since the legal bases for the challenges differ. The high court's order on Thursday blocks part of New York's COVID Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act, passed last year, that allows tenants to self-certify that they're experiencing economic hardship because of the pandemic. If they do so, eviction proceedings are effectively shut down till the end of this month.

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WHAT ALBANY'S READING

Hochul confirms plans to run for governor in 2022, by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul has confirmed that she plans to seek a full term as governor in 2022. "Yes I will," the incoming governor of New York said when asked on "Today" whether she'll run. "I fully expect to. I've prepared for this, I've led a life working in every level of government from Congress to local government, I am the most prepared person to assume this responsibility, and I'm going to ask the voters at some point for their faith in me again," Hochul said. "But right now, I need their faith and their prayers and I need their support to make sure we get this right, and I'm confident they'll see that I fight like hell every single day," she added.

"Firm denies lobbying Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul for husband's company," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "Disclosure filings submitted last year – stating that Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was lobbied at least twice by a Buffalo firm representing Delaware North Companies – contained incorrect information, the firm maintained on Thursday. Delaware North Companies is the major Buffalo-based food, hospitality and gaming company where Hochul's husband, William Hochul, has been a high-ranking official since 2016. Kathy Hochul, scheduled to assume the governorship Aug. 24, is already facing questions about whether her position running the state, and her husband's job, present a conflict-of-interest. Her office did not respond to questions about the disclosures and possible contacts with the Buffalo lobbying firm on Thursday.

"The lobbying disclosure filings were submitted to state ethics regulators by the lobbying firm O'Donnell and Associates, which represents Delaware North. The firm reported that in the filing period covering September and October, and again in November and December, O'Donnell and Associates directly lobbied Hochul, and possibly her staff. In both instances, the lobbying benefiting Delaware North concerned an unspecified 'state bill' related to 'gaming issues' and 'economic development issues,' the disclosures state."

" Cuomo exit isn't stopping push for answers on nursing homes," by The Associated Press's Matt Sedensky: "Sexual harassment allegations cost New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo his job. Now, many want to see him answer for a scandal that cut to the heart of his reputation as a pandemic hero and may have had life-and-death consequences — his administration's handling of outbreaks in nursing homes. Months before a blistering investigation found Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, the same attorney general concluded that the administration understated the true death toll in nursing homes by thousands and that fatalities may have been fueled by a state order that effectively forced such homes to accept recovering COVID-19 patients. Whatever action may lie ahead on the harassment claims, families of the more than 15,000 New Yorkers who died in nursing homes say they want accountability, too, and are urging state lawmakers and the U.S. Justice Department to keep investigating Cuomo after he leaves office."

— Cuomo's first accuser Lindsey Boylan wants Times Up CEO and president Tina Tchen to resign.

" Cuomo Has $18 Million in Campaign Cash. What Can He Do With It?" by The New York Times's J. David Goodman: "Even after his resignation takes effect in less than two weeks, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will still control the largest pot of campaign cash in New York politics, an $18 million war chest amassed in apparent preparation for a run at a fourth term next year. That prospect now seems remote: Mr. Cuomo, accused of sexually harassing nearly a dozen women, announced Tuesday that he would step down as he faced the threat of impeachment and a chorus of calls for his resignation. But his huge stock of campaign funds — the most money retained by a departing New York politician in recent memory — affords him a range of possibilities, including the chance to attempt an eventual comeback or to play a role in the state's political life by donating to other candidates. Mr. Cuomo is far from the first top New York elected official to abruptly leave office. What is remarkable, and has drawn attention in Albany political circles, is the magnitude of money still at his disposal."

#UpstateAmerica: It's prime time for finding a bat in your house. Here's how to get rid of it.

WHAT CITY HALL'S READING

"2020 Census shows NYC's diverse population grew to unexpected 8.8M," by New York Daily News' Dave Goldiner: "The Big Apple is booming. New York City's population grew to a surprising 8.8 million people in the past 10 years, a much faster pace than was expected, the Census Bureau said Thursday. Leading a decade of rapid growth and increasing diversity in metro areas from coast to coast, the city grew by a healthy 7%, or about 630,000 people, defying predictions about lackluster growth in the five boroughs. The figures mark a big acceleration from the 2% growth NYC experienced in the previous decade. They far outstrip official estimates from just two years ago when New York City was predicted to grow at a much slower rate to about 8.4 million. 'The Big Apple just got bigger!' Mayor de Blasio tweeted."

— "Growth was not equitably spread across communities throughout the five boroughs, the latest U.S. Census data released Thursday shows, with the ranks of Black New Yorkers dropping by 4.5%."

— Asian communities are organizing to build political power in redistricting based on their big population gains.

NYPD releases Adams' disciplinary records, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: The NYPD reversed course and released some disciplinary records for Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams, detailing an incident in which the former police captain was penalized 15 vacation days for a TV appearance. Adams, a frequent critic of the department as the founder of the group 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, was brought up on charges shortly before he retired from the force. He has said NYPD brass were retaliating against him for his years of agitating for reform. According to documents released this week, Adams was found guilty in a 2006 departmental trial on one charge of appearing on TV as a representative of the NYPD without authorization. He was found not guilty on two other charges, of improperly divulging official department business and disseminating incorrect information.

"Why Only 27 Percent of Young Black New Yorkers Are Vaccinated," by The New York Times' Joseph Goldstein and Matthew Sedacca: "A construction site safety manager in Queens said that as a Black man, he was more worried about the prospect of being stopped by the police than he was about getting Covid-19. A graduate student in the Bronx who had not gotten vaccinated said her worst fears seemed confirmed when a vaccine that the government was directing to Black and poorer neighborhoods was briefly suspended over a small number of dangerous blood clots. And a civil rights activist in the Bronx said he grew suspicious when he heard last year that politicians were prioritizing minority neighborhoods for coronavirus vaccinations. 'Since when does America give anything good to Black people first?' said the activist, Hawk Newsome, a 44-year-old Black Lives Matter leader who is unvaccinated.

"All three situations reflect a trend that has become a major concern to public health experts: Young Black New Yorkers are especially reluctant to get vaccinated, even as the Delta variant is rapidly spreading among their ranks. City data shows that only 27 percent of Black New Yorkers ages 18 to 44 years are fully vaccinated, compared with 48 percent of Latino residents and 52 percent of white residents in that age group."

— "NYC's vaccine surge moving needle, first shots up 80% over July lows," by New York Post's Nolan Hicks and Julia Marsh: "The city's once-flagging COVID vaccination drive continued to pick up steam last week as more than 104,000 New Yorkers showed up for their first shot — an 82 percent jump from the program's July lows."

— Mount Sinai is mandating the vaccine for its employees.

DOE launches central portal to track employee vaccinations, Covid test results, by POLITICO's Madina Touré: The city's Department of Education is launching a new vaccination portal for DOE employees to upload their vaccinations and Covid-19 test results in an effort to consolidate the verification process … The city recently announced that as of Sept. 13, all city employees are required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test on a weekly basis. In response to the mandate, the department is launching the DOE Vaccination Portal, which enables school employees to provide their vaccination status and to upload proof of vaccination to a central database.

— Vaccinated students and teachers will not be required to quarantine when there is a Covid-19 case in the classroom.

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FROM THE DELEGATION

"NY Democrats eye more Congress seats as redistricting wars kick off with census data release," by New York Daily News' Dave Goldiner: "Let the gerrymandering begin! New York's dominant Democrats could try to lock in big gains in Congress as the Census Bureau kicks off the once-in-a-decade redistricting wars with a massive dump of population figures Thursday. With Republicans in fast-growing Sun Belt states plotting to redraw districts to pick up seats in Congress, New York Democrats could draw their own new lines that would effectively oust up to four GOP representatives, including the only Republican-held seat in New York City. The bare-knuckled skirmish comes after statewide figures caused New York to lose one seat to 26 in the coming Congress, falling just 89 people short of keeping the 27 it had for the past decade."

AROUND NEW YORK

— A 25-year-old detainee was found dead at Rikers Island.

— Cyclists will no longer need a permit to bring bikes on Metro North and LIRR.

— A teen drowned at Rockaway Beach in an area that had been closed to swimming due to beach erosion.

— The Trump Tower in White Plains will soon lose its moniker.

— There's a renewed push to call the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge the Tappan Zee (again).

— There's new busing to some High Peaks trailheads.

— Three children were among those injured after a lightning strike at Orchard Beach.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen … WH principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre … IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva … Bloomberg's Joanna Ossinger ... Bloomberg's Joanna Ossinger ... AP's Kelly Daschle ... Andrew Malkin … Jim Spiegelman of the Aspen Institute … BuzzFeed's Addy Baird … Margot Roosevelt … Sam Gaynor of Altamont Capital … Sam Champion … Isabel Aldunate of OMB … Emily Myerson … Chris Dhanaraj … Elizabeth Whipple

MEDIAWATCH — Katie Honan is joining The City. She was the Wall Street Journal's City Hall reporter.

— "NY Times Lawyers Accidentally Send Private Strategy Memo to Staff Union," by Daily Beast's Maxwell Tani

REAL ESTATE

"Slate buys out Adam America's stake in Park Slope homeless shelter building," by The Real Deal's Keith Larsen: "Slate Property Group is now the sole owner of a Park Slope building containing a homeless shelter and affordable housing. The developer bought out AEW's and Adam America's stake in the property at 541-555 Fourth Avenue for $86 million, records show. The 11-story property has 134 units, including 99 shelter units operated by the nonprofit Women in Need and 35 affordable housing units. In a statement, Slate said that as a sole owner, 'we are better positioned to secure the building's future, help vulnerable New Yorkers and provide WIN (Women in Need), the operator, a long term lease to deliver much needed onsite supportive services and resources to the tenants.' Slate refinanced the property with $65 million from UBS Bank, which includes $18.5 million in new debt, records show."

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