US

Disgraced Former Governor Andrew Cuomo Reportedly Vying To Replace Eric Adams Following Indictment

Hans Pennink/FEMA

Former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is reportedly eyeing fellow Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adam’s office, according to multiple reports.

The former governor signaled interest in running for mayor even before Adams’ most recent federal indictment on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. Cuomo was previously scrutinized ordering COVID-19 patients back to nursing homes, and was eventually pushed to resign over a sexual harassment scandal.

Cuomo testified before the House Oversight Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Sept. 10 regarding his administration’s handling of nursing home patients during the pandemic after reports revealed an undercounting of patient deaths. Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York claimed that the committee’s investigation into Cuomo’s actions found that he and his senior aides “made a deliberate decision” to “exclude” information relating to patient deaths.

Cuomo’s scandal-ridden career came to a close after the then-governor resigned from his post in August 2021 after he was accused of sexually harassing multiple female subordinates. A few months later in January 2022, a New York judge dismissed a sex crime charge against the former governor.

Since his resignation, multiple reports have claimed that Cuomo’s mayoral ambitions have resurfaced in light of Adams’ most recent indictment.

The 57-page indictment was unsealed Thursday and revealed that Adams is facing five federal charges relating to illegal campaign contributions he allegedly accepted from the Turkish government. Adams is the first New York City mayor to be charged while in office.

Federal agents first seized Adams’ electronics on Nov. 10, 2023, just days after his top fundraiser’s home was raided. The FBI had reportedly been investigating Adams’ campaign to determine any alleged ties with the Turkish government in the form of illegal contributions.

“The indictment of a sitting mayor is a serious and sober moment for New York City,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement Thursday. “Like every other New Yorker and American, Eric Adams is entitled to the presumption of innocence. That principle is central to the administration of justice in the United States of America.”