NEW YORK, NY – Governor Cuomo trapped himself in a cycle of never ending bad headlines this week. First, a report by the Times Union discovered a straw donor scandal with Cuomo’s campaign. Then, Cuomo raised more attention to the corruption scandal when he threw a Trumpian tantrum at a reporter for having the audacity to ask him about the straw donations. This fit also earned the Governor several days of criticism for his poor treatment of the press – at the same time the President was being criticized nationally for doing the same. Governor Cuomo then drew even more comparison to Trump when it was revealed in The New York Times that Cuomo was helping to elect Republican Members of Congress by running on the Independence Party Line.

Incredibly, the hits didn’t stop there. Cuomo also came under fire for investing 23 times more in white communities than communities of color; for failing to appoint members to a MTA workgroup that he created; for using state funds to promote his record on voting access; and for forcing out the previous President of the New York Chapter of the National Organization for Women because she refused to endorse him.

In contrast, Cynthia continued to gain grassroots momentum this week. Despite personal efforts by the Governor to court the group, Indivisible chose to endorse Cynthia. Indivisible is the largest anti-Trump group in the country, with 400 chapters in the state. Cynthia also received a resounding response from progressives at Netroots 2018 for all she had done to push Governor Cuomo to the left and for bringing so many other policy issues on the left to the mainstream discourse. Cynthia also earned a fresh round of progressive support for her single payer plan this week.

Cuomo’s Bad Week of Press
Albany Times Union: Nixon slams Cuomo’s Crystal Run silence, says return $400K
“In a Times Union article on Sunday, Cuomo’s campaign spokeswoman refused to say whether the campaign had been approached by anyone at Crystal Run concerning the donations, which are now the subject of investigations by the FBI and Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office. A source with knowledge of the matter told the Times Union that the criminal probe is examining whether a series of bonuses paid to Crystal Run executives were in fact meant fund a spate of campaign donations to Cuomo. “With all the corruption scandals coming out of the Cuomo administration, it is hard to be truly shocked anymore,” Nixon said in a statement. “But even by the low standards of Albany, accepting $400,000 in donations from straw donors is pretty bad, and refusing to return those contributions is even worse, particularly now that the company is under federal criminal investigation.”” [Albany Times Union, 7/30/18]

Politico: The mystery of the missing MTA ‘workgroup’
“Three months after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the state budget, the state has yet to act on a provision requiring New York to establish a working group to examine how best to restore the region’s transit system. The Assembly has named its appointees, but Cuomo and state Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan haven’t.”[Politico, 8/2/18]

The New York Times: Third-Party Line Will Feature Governor Cuomo, and a Slew of Republicans
“If Mr. Cuomo remains on the Independence Party line, and there is every indication he will, the governor will be collecting votes right alongside a number of Republicans whom he has repeatedly excoriated — and may even help them by his presence on the ticket. They include Representative Chris Collins, the firebrand conservative from the Buffalo area, one of Donald Trump’s earliest and most ardent supporters, who has called the governor “a bully, a blackmailer and an extortionist.” Mr. Cuomo, in turn, has accused Mr. Collins of “putting millions of people at profound risk” by not backing gun control measures…Most of the state’s Republican congressional delegation, including Elise Stefanik, John Katko, Lee Zeldin, Dan Donovan and Tom Reed — all targeted by Mr. Cuomo in his rhetoric or via campaign contributions to their Democratic opponents — will also be on the Independence line, their campaigns say. And so will most of the Republicans in the State Senate, whom Mr. Cuomo has also been bashing for months and promising to defeat, in order to return Albany’s upper chamber to Democratic control.” [The New York Times, 8/1/18]

The New York Times: New York’s Economic Spending Shortchanges Nonwhite Communities, Report Says
“The governor has consistently emphasized the importance of stanching the economic free-fall of upstate New York, which is predominantly white, as the disappearance of manufacturing jobs has led to abandoned factories and a dwindling population, especially in the Southern Tier. Even as New York City’s economy has recovered, its counterparts elsewhere in the state have lagged far behind. Still, the report is the latest of a chorus of criticism of the state’s development practices, as they have been battered by charges of corruption, waste and opacity. Last month, Alain Kaloyeros, the onetime leader of Mr. Cuomo’s so-called Buffalo Billion initiative, was convicted in a sprawling bid-rigging trial. While the regional councils have not figured prominently in recent scandals, the report suggested that they were part of a broader culture in need of reform.” [The New York Times, 8/1/18]

Capital and Main: Cuomo’s Cable Company War Could Enrich His Campaign Donors
“In the current battle over New York’s telecommunication regulation, Cuomo’s Public Service Commission (PSC) last week revoked Charter Spectrum’s authorization to operate in the state. The commission’s order said the company — which is the largest cable provider in New York — had failed to build out high-speed Internet service to rural areas, as required in its 2016 merger agreement with Time Warner. Cuomo declared that the company “has been executing fraud on the people of this state.” Cuomo aired his criticism after a reporter from a Charter-owned news outlet had asked him about corruption scandals engulfing his administration. Later, Nixon asserted that the governor was employing a Donald Trump-esque tactic to try to intimidate journalists. Whether that was in fact Cuomo’s motive, there is little doubt that his administration’s move could also open up a rare — and highly lucrative — expansion opportunity for well-positioned telecom industry competitors such as Comcast or Altice, which have delivered big money to Cuomo.” [Capital and Main,8/2/18]

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Andrew Cuomo turns battle with Charter Spectrum on NY1 reporter
“In Queens Tuesday, NY1 reporter Zack Fink asked the Democratic governor about a Times Union report that the FBI and prosecutors are investigating whether $400,000 in contributions to Cuomo’s campaign from Crystal Run Healthcare violated state and federal law. Cuomo briefly answered the question, vowing to return the donations if the prosecutors uncovered any fraud. He then pivoted quickly, turning his attention to Charter Spectrum — the state’s largest cable provider and the parent company of the reporter’s employer — and its battle with his administration. “Speaking of fraud, Charter Spectrum has been executing fraud on the people of this state,” Cuomo said.” [Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 8/1/18]

New York Post: State voter mailings include plug for Cuomo
“Vicky DeFreese of New Windsor in Orange County said she was surprised when mail from the Tax Department included a registration card promoting Cuomo in an election year. “Register to vote. It’s easier than ever. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is expanding access and opportunity to New Yorkers to register to vote,” the mailer said. The note suggested visiting ny.gov/vote to download a voter registration form or call 1-800-FOR-VOTE.” DeFreese posted the card on her Facebook and said, “Thank you very much Governor `for now’ Cuomo. This will make it much easier for more voters to vote the BEST choice.”” [New York Post, 8/1/18]

New York Post: Ex-NOW head claims she was ousted for endorsing Cuomo rival
“Zenaida Mendez said Cuomo’s former campaign chair Joe Percoco — recently convicted in a pay-to-play corruption scam — was particularly upset that NOW that year backed Zephyr Teachout, who’s now running for state attorney general. Mendez recalled intense meetings and phone calls with Percoco. “They tried to intimidate me,” she charged. She sought re-election to another two-year term but was defeated by Sonia Ossorio, a Cuomo ally who headed NOW’s New York City chapter. NOW is so closely aligned with Cuomo that it endorsed him for re-election before Cynthia Nixon entered the race and could be interviewed. Asked if Cuomo helped orchestrate her defeat, Mendez declared: “Oh, yes. I have no doubt about that. It was pretty obvious.” [New York Post, 8/3/18]

New York Times: Cynthia Nixon Endorsed by Indivisible, a National Grassroots Group
“Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of the national Indivisible group, said that an “important touchpoint” in the group’s decision to endorse Ms. Nixon was Mr. Cuomo’s role in embracing a breakaway faction of Democrats in the New York State Senate who had helped keep Republicans in power in Albany. Those Democrats officially reunited earlier this year, at Mr. Cuomo’s urging, soon after Ms. Nixon entered the race. “We think that Cynthia Nixon is a really compelling and exciting voice for progressive politics,” said Ms. Greenberg. She cited Ms. Nixon’s focus on reducing the role of money in politics and her advocacy for undocumented immigrants and reproductive rights — two issues that Mr. Cuomo has campaigned on, too. “We really do see a difference as to how she is talking versus how the governor is talking.””[The New York Times, 8/2/18]

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