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‘The bullying is nothing new’: de Blasio unleashes on Gov. Cuomo after lawmaker says he was threatened
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has gone after his in-state rival, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.), following a Democratic state assemblyman alleging that Cuomo threatened him over the phone.
Assemblyman Ron Kim from Queens said, according to The New York Post, that Cuomo threatened him over the phone on February 11 after the publication reported that Melissa DeRosa, the governor’s top aide, admitted privately that his administration withheld coronavirus-related nursing home death data out of fear that it would be “used against us” by federal prosecutors. After The Post‘s exposé, Kim publicly criticized Cuomo’s administration, and Cuomo reportedly threatened Kim that he would be “destroyed” and “finished.”
RELATED: Report: Cuomo went after state Dem lawmaker for criticism over COVID-19 nursing home deaths
“Yeah, it’s a sad thing to say,” de Blasio told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday. “But that’s classic Andrew Cuomo. A lot of people in New York State have received those phone calls.”
Wednesday evening, Cuomo advisor Rich Azzopardi denied Kim’s story that the three-term governor threatened him over the phone, accusing the Queens assemblyman of “lying,” saying, “I know because I was one of three other people in the room when the phone call occurred.”
“At no time did anyone threaten to ‘destroy’ anyone with their ‘wrath’ nor engage in a ‘coverup,’” Azzopardi continued. “That’s beyond the pale and is unfortunately part of a years-long pattern of lies by Mr. Kim against this administration. We did ask for Mr. Kim to do the honorable thing and put out a truthful statement after he told the Governor he was misquoted in a news article, which he said he tried to correct but the reporter refused. Kim said he would correct the story and then broke his word. No surprise. Instead over the last six days he has baselessly accused this administration of pay to play and obstruction of justice. These continued falsehoods are why the Governor chose to speak out today. We will not allow an unscrupulous politician to deceive New Yorkers or distort the truth. Mr. Kim’s current statements do not even align with the comments he made at the meeting. […] He is without credibility as his own words demonstrate. Lies have caused families grieving from COVID enough pain. We understand it is our obligation to correct misstatements so families understand the true facts during COVID.”
Azzopardi added that “Mr. Kim and the Governor’s office have had a long, hostile relationship.”
RELATED: Gov. Cuomo defends handling of COVID-19, blames politics for nursing home deaths
Nonetheless, De Blasio stated that he believes Kim’s story and that Cuomo’s reported language echoes his reportedly aggressive behavior in the past.
“You know, the bullying is nothing new. I believe Ron Kim, and it’s very, very sad,” de Blasio said to MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski. “No public servant, no person who’s telling the truth should be treated that way. But yeah, the threats, the belittling, the demand that someone change their statement right that moment–many, many times I’ve heard that, and I know a lot of other people in this state have heard that.”
Thursday morning during a later press briefing, the Big Apple mayor reiterated that he believes Kim.
“I believe Ron Kim,” de Blasio said. “First of all you can just see just by what he’s saying it’s from the heart and it was a very painful experience for him. I believe him and he did not deserve to be treated that way and I admire him for coming forward and telling exactly what happened.”
Last Friday, de Blasio said that there needs to “full accounting” of the story behind the alleged cover-up of the nursing home deaths in the early stage of the pandemic.
“It’s very troubling. We’ve got to know more. We now need a full accounting of what happened,” he said on “The Brian Lehrer Show.”
“Think about seniors, who their [sic] lives were in the balance and their families, you know, just desperate to get them the help they needed,” he said. “We need to know exactly what happened here. We need to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
Furthermore, it was first reported Wednesday evening by the Times Union of Albany that the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn have launched an investigation, in the publication’s words, “at least in part, the actions of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s coronavirus task force in its handling of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities during the pandemic”.
It followed a bombshell report from state Attorney General Letitia James (D) published late last month showing that coronavirus-related nursing home deaths “may have been undercounted by as much as 50%.” According to The Post, Cuomo allegedly hid nearly 1,900 of these deaths in New York City alone.
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.
In a recent development, the Tate brothers, Andrew and Tristan, along with two associates, find themselves at the center of a high-profile case involving human trafficking allegations.
The charges leveled against them indicate the formation of an organized criminal group in 2021 with the intent to carry out human trafficking operations not only in Romania but also in the United States and the United Kingdom, according to the BBC.
The investigation, which led to their arrest in December last year, has culminated in an indictment filed with the Bucharest court. According to the indictment, the Tate brothers are accused of luring their victims with false promises of love and marriage. Seven individuals have been identified as alleged victims, who were later coerced and subjected to a harrowing ordeal.
Prosecutors contend that the victims were taken to locations in Ilfov county, Romania, where they faced constant surveillance, intimidation, and control. The defendants allegedly forced the victims into debt and coerced them into participating in pornographic activities, with the explicit material subsequently shared on social media platforms. Shockingly, one of the defendants is accused of raping a woman on two occasions in March 2022, further amplifying the gravity of the charges.
While the trial is not expected to commence immediately, as a Romanian judge is granted 60 days to inspect the case files, it is anticipated to be a protracted legal battle. The complexity of the case and the severity of the charges will undoubtedly result in a lengthy trial process, with several years potentially passing before a verdict is reached.
Representatives for the Tate brothers released a statement acknowledging the unsurprising nature of the news but maintaining their belief in their innocence.
As reported by the BBC, the Tate brothers media team stared, “While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation.”
They expressed their eagerness to present a comprehensive body of evidence meticulously collected over time, which they believe will substantiate their claims of innocence and restore their tarnished reputation.
However, it should be noted that additional charges, such as money laundering and trafficking of minors, are still under investigation. If evidence is uncovered to support these allegations, a separate indictment could be filed, further complicating the legal proceedings for the defendants.
Andrew Tate, who gained notoriety through his participation in the reality television show Big Brother, has a controversial past, having been removed from the show in 2016 following a video that appeared to depict him assaulting a woman.
Despite subsequent bans on social media platforms due to his contentious statements, he has managed to amass a following, particularly among young men, by promoting an ostentatious and hyper-masculine lifestyle.
As the case unfolds, public attention will undoubtedly be drawn to the trial, with many eagerly awaiting the outcome and hoping for justice to be served for the alleged victims. The complex web of charges and the high-profile nature of the defendants ensure that this trial will be closely monitored and scrutinized by the media and the public alike.
Follow Alexander Carter on Twitter @AlexCarterDC for more!
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