(TheIndependentStar.com) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been on a rollercoaster ride over the last year and a half. In the pandemic’s early days he became a superhero to his band of liberal cheerleaders; now, though, he’s saying goodbye to his political career in the midst of a sexual assault scandal.
Since the scandal originally broke, Cuomo has had his brother, Chris, to help him spin the narrative. He had several live appearances on Chris’ CNN news show to hype himself up and garner more admiration.
It appears, though, that Chris knows when to bow out gracefully. He was reportedly a driving force behind the surprise announcement of Governor Cuomo’s resignation on August 10.
Andrew Cuomo’s Political Journey
Andrew began his political career in 1982 when he worked as the campaign manager for his father. He helped Cuomo Sr. to become the governor of New York.
In 1997, Andrew Cuomo became the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton. He tried his hand at securing the governor’s seat in New York in 2002 but lost the race.
In 2006, he became the attorney general in the state, and then, in 2010, the people of New York elected him governor.
In 2020, Cuomo became a household name, receiving great praise for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He even won an Emmy for “exceptional use of television for public service” in November 2020.
However, things soon came crashing down as a former aide stepped forward in December to level the first sexual harassment accusation against the governor. By early 2021, he was also facing a scandal for covering up high death rates in nursing homes during the pandemic in New York.
By February, more women had come forward to accuse him of sexual assault, and by March, previous supporters were calling for his resignation. However, the governor stood firm. He said he did nothing wrong and would never resign.
This month, the New York attorney general released findings showing Cuomo was guilty of breaking state and federal laws. Despite a continued proclamation of innocence, Andrew announced his resignation on August 10.
Help from the Family
Andrew’s brother, Chris, is a top CNN anchor who has a lot of pull at the station. Throughout the scandals plaguing his brother, he was warned by CNN to not get involved.
At one point, he did face some trouble when he admitted to providing counsel to Andrew’s aides on how to address the sexual assault accusations. However, CNN never disciplined the anchor.
The week of August 10, Chris took time off, claiming it was for a pre-planned birthday vacation. Sources close to the family say he was regularly talking with his brother, and after learning about the investigation’s findings, advised Andrew to resign. Chris saw the investigation as impossible for Andrew to come back from.
Cuomo’s resignation did seem like it was motivated by PR considerations, which would point to his brother’s influence. However, the governor never said his resignation was due to the accusations or the AG’s findings. His explanation was he felt he needed to step aside so as not to interfere with the governing of the state.
Copyright 2021, TheIndependentStar.com
