Fact check: Gov. Cuomo did not reopen New York days before his daughter’s wedding
The claim: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reopened New York hours before his daughter’s wedding
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced June 15 that he was lifting the state’s COVID-19 restrictions because 70% of New Yorkers had received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
But on Facebook, some users claimed there was another reason for reopening the state.
“Cuomo Opens New York 72 Hours Before His Daughter’s Wedding SUCKERS,” reads a June 15 post.
The idea of a Democratic governor lifting coronavirus restrictions for personal reasons proved popular on Facebook, where the post was shared more than 16,000 times. But the claim isn’t true.
The falsehood stems from a 1993 news article about the wedding of Cuomo’s sister. The wedding took place more than 25 years before the coronavirus pandemic. There’s no evidence any of Cuomo’s three daughters are getting married soon.
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USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the Facebook post for comment.
Claim misconstrues article on Cuomo’s sister’s wedding
The Facebook post appears to trace back to an article published 28 years ago.
The headline of the Buffalo News article reads: “CUOMO DAUGHTER TO WED JUDGE’S SON ON JUNE 12.” It was published May 15, 1993 — more than 25 years before the coronavirus pandemic.
The person referenced in the article is not Andrew Cuomo’s daughter — it’s his sister Madeline Cuomo. Both Andrew and Madeline are the children of former three-term New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.
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According to an archived New York Times page from June 13, 1993, Madeline Cuomo married Brian O’Donoghue at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, New York. Mario Cuomo was governor at the time.
In a June 10 tweet, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s senior adviser, Richard Azzopardi, debunked the rumored wedding after receiving an email from a TV station.
“I don’t know how anyone actually believes this garbage but here we are,” Azzopardi told USA TODAY. “But for those who want to protest a wedding that took place almost 30 years ago, have fun.”
Azzopardi’s mention of a protest comes from a post in the “Quarantine The Quarantine” Facebook group. Members said they wanted to protest students wearing face masks during the rumored wedding in Albany, the Daily Gazette reported.
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Several news outlets debunked the wedding claim, including the Hudson Valley Post and the Daily Gazette.
Our rating: False
The claim that Gov. Cuomo reopened New York 72 hours before his daughter’s wedding is FALSE, based on our research. The governor’s senior adviser tweeted and told USA TODAY the claim is wrong. The Facebook post stemmed from an article about Cuomo’s sister’s wedding in 1993, when Mario Cuomo was New York’s governor.
Our fact-checking sources:
- Facebook post, June 15
- Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, June 15, Governor Cuomo Announces COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted as 70% of Adult New Yorkers Have Received First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine
- Town and Country, March 3, The Smart and Accomplished Family Behind Governor Andrew Cuomo
- Buffalo News, May 15, 1993, CUOMO DAUGHTER TO WED JUDGE’S SON ON JUNE 12
- New York Times, June 13, 1993, WEDDINGS
- Hudson Valley Post, June 17, Fact Check: Is Cuomo’s Daughter Getting Married in New York?
- The Daily Gazette, June 11, Planning to protest a Cuomo wedding? You’re 28 years too late
- Richard Azzopardi, June 17, Interview with USA TODAY
- Richard Azzopardi, June 10, tweet
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