Politics

De Blasio Unloads On Cuomo, Backs Dem Who Says He Was Threatened: ‘The Bullying Is Nothing New’

Report

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio backed up New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim following a report that Gov. Andrew Cuomo threatened Kim during a heated phone call.

And during a press conference Thursday, de Blasio also renewed calls for a probe into the nursing home controversy.

“There clearly needs to be a full investigation,” de Blasio said. “We’re talking about thousands of people who were lost, our seniors, our elders, families that still dont know the truth and questions need to be answered to make sure nothing like this happens again. There absolutely needs to be a full investigation.”

The New York Post had reported that, according to Kim, Cuomo called the assemblyman on Feb. 11 after the newspaper reported that Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa acknowledged withholding nursing home death numbers in order to avoid possible consequences from the Justice Department. Kim had spoken out against Cuomo’s adminitration following that report, and during the call Cuomo reportedly asked Kim if he was “an honorable man,” and threatened that Kim “will be finished” and “destroyed.”

“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.”

According to the Post, Cuomo had said on the call that he wanted Kim to prepare a statement saying that DeRosa “said there was a federal investigation and they had to deal with that first.” This has been Cuomo’s claim when accused by Kim and others of obstruction. Kim had already publicly commented that DeRosa’s admission – which took place during a call that Kim was on – sounded “like they admitted that they were trying to dodge having any incriminating evidence.”

Kim claimed that Cuomo told him he could “tell the whole world what a bad person you are and you will be finished,” the Post reported.

After the Post reported on the alleged threat, Cuomo adviser Rich Azzopardi accused Kim of making up the details of the conversation.

“Mr. Kim is lying about his conversation with Governor Cuomo Thursday night. I know because I was one of three other people in the room when the phone call occurred,” Azzopardi said. “At no time did anyone threaten to ‘destroy’ anyone with their ‘wrath’ nor engage in a ‘coverup.’ 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 p… (Read more)