Andrew Cuomo launching podcast, PAC one year after resigning as scandal-plagued NY governor
Cuomo resigned in disgrace following sexual harassment allegations, a brewing nursing home scandal
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Andrew Cuomo announced that he is launching a podcast and a PAC just one year after resigning in disgrace as the Democratic governor of New York.
"The past few months gave me a new perspective on politics on people and even on life," Cuomo said in an eight-minute video message released Wednesday. "I have seen it all - the good, the bad and the ugly. I've seen both extremes, the worst in politics and opportunism but I've also seen the best in government and service. I believe at the end of the day, I will be the better for it. And I want to move forward and focus on what is really important."
"I have fought the good fight in government and politics all my life, and I am not done fighting yet," Cuomo continued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The former governor decried the political divisions and the "Twitter mob" that dictates the discourse, saying it has "turned politics into a blood sport."
"Now I've seen a lot, I've learned a lot and I've done a lot. And I want to help," Cuomo said. "I am starting a political action committee to elect the right people to office. We do not need more panders, we need producers. We need people committed to fight for change and who get results. We need people who have the character, the capacity to stand up and lead. And take the head that goes with leadership because that is the job.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during an event at One World Trade Center in New York on June 15, 2021 (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
In addition to revealing the pro-gun control "Gun Safe America Project" he is launching, Cuomo also announced a weekly podcast "to hear what's on your mind and to discuss ways to help improve the situation."
"My intention is to speak the full truth unvarnished from the inside out, frank and candid as a person who's been in the room many times for many years and knows these people and knows their game and as a person who actually did the job," Cuomo said. "More than anything, I want to have the conversation with you because it is about you and you having the right information and your political will to make a difference."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cuomo vowed to use his podcast to "establish the facts," stressing they won't be "Democratic" or "Republican" facts but "actual facts" that are in short supply.
"I have spoken with many people from all walks of life over these past few months… People are really anxious, they're worried… people feel overwhelmed and they feel the government isn't just doing enough…. This country has gone through much more difficult times than what we are seeing now… Americans are tough… We can do this. We will overcome but we must start fighting the enemy and we must stop fighting each other. That's the conversation we need to resolve. We can, we will, let's do it, and let's do it together. I hope to see you again soon," Cuomo added.
Then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at New York's Yankee Stadium, on July 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
Cuomo was forced to resign last year following a damming report released by New York Attorney General Letitia James outlining sexual misconduct accusations from 11 women, many of whom had come forward with their allegations in early 2021.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Also plaguing the governor's final months in office was the nursing home scandal. In the early months of the pandemic, Cuomo forced assisted living facilities to accept COVID positive patients to prevent the overwhelming of New York hospitals, then covered up the number of COVID deaths among seniors in his state.
Additionally, there was controversy surrounding the release of his pre-mature memoir touting his leadership during the pandemic, which involved taxpayer-funded government employees editing his for-profit book.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The governor wasn't the only Cuomo to face a multitude of scandals. His brother, Chris Cuomo, was forced out of CNN after he himself was accused of sexual assault by a former colleague during his tenure at ABC News, something he vehemently denied. The primetime anchor had already been suspended after the AG report revealed he had been far more involved in aiding his brother's sexual misconduct allegations than he previously disclosed. Chris Cuomo was also the beneficiary of prioritized COVID testing in the early months of the pandemic provided by his brother's administration.
CNN’s Chris Cuomo performed prop comedy with his brother New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a widely panned segment in 2020. (CNN | istock)
The Cuomo Brothers were panned by critics for partaking in regular comedic banter that aired on "Cuomo Prime Time," fueling allegations of a clear conflict of interest in CNN's coverage of the pandemic. The interviews included the two of them fighting over their mother's affection and even prop comedy. The anchor also propped up the governor's presidential prospects and declared him the "best politician in the country," virtually ignoring the brewing nursing home scandal that was impacting New York.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Like Andrew Cuomo, Chris Cuomo is attempting a career comeback. In addition to launching his own podcast, the ex-CNN star is set to launch a primetime show on the little-watched NewsNation.