Cuomo’s political timeline: From Emmy Award to scandals to resignation
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation announcement on Tuesday marked a shocking turn for one of New York’s most powerful political figures.
Cuomo, whose career spanned four decades, said he would step down within 14 days, something he claimed was necessary to ensure a smooth transition with his successor, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The 63-year-old Democrat, son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, will leave the post in the middle of his third term.
Here’s a look back at Cuomo’s career, including his Emmy Award win for his daily coronavirus briefings and multiple scandals, culminating in the damning official report into his alleged sexual harassment and his resignation under threat of impeachment and criminal charges:
November 1982: Mario Cuomo elected governor
After volunteering on his father, late-Gov. Mario Cuomo’s first, and unsuccessful, campaign for governor in 1974 as a 16-year-old, Andrew served as campaign manager in the 1982 race.
Mario Cuomo defeated then-New York City Mayor Ed Koch in a primary. He took office for the first of his three terms in 1983, hiring his elder son as a $1-a-year special adviser.
June 1990: Andrew Cuomo marries Kerry Kennedy
Cuomo married Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy, on June 9, 1990, joining two powerful political families. Their union was nicknamed “Cuomolot” after “Camelot.”
The couple would have three daughters, twins, Cara Kennedy-Cuomo and Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo (born 1995), and Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo (born 1997).
They separated in 2003, and divorced in 2005.
Early 1990s: Andrew Cuomo works in NYC government
Having founded the Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged (HELP) in 1986, Cuomo eventually left his gig at a law firm to focus on the group full time.
That helped him earn a role as chair of the New York City Homeless Commission during the administration of Mayor David Dinkins. He held the post from 1990 to 1993.
January 1997: Andrew Cuomo named US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Cuomo moved to Washington in 1993 after being named an assistant secretary in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton.
He was sworn in as HUD Secretary in January 1997, serving in the role through 2001, when the Clinton administration ended.
September 2002: Andrew Cuomo loses first bid for NY governor
Andrew Cuomo ran in the Democratic primary for governor, challenging then-Republican Gov. George Pataki, who had defeated dad Mario when the elder Cuomo ran for a fourth term in 1994.
But Cuomo withdrew his candidacy just a week before the primary, after trailing in the polls to Carl McCall, who was bested by Pataki in the general election.
November 2006: Andrew Cuomo elected New York attorney general
The victory marked Cuomo’s return to politics after a few years in the private sector.
He defeated the Republican nominee, former Westchester district attorney Jeanine Pirro, winning 58 percent of the vote.
As New York Attorney General, he issued a scathing report into Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s administration for ordering state police to keep tabs on then-Senate majority leader Joseph Bruno’s travels.
November 2010: Andrew Cuomo elected to first term as New York governor
After Democratic Gov. David Paterson withdrew his candidacy for re-election, Cuomo stepped in, cinching the nomination and defeating Republican Carl Paladino in the general race.
During his first term, Cuomo passed a property-tax cap and worked to strike a bipartisan deal for same-sex marriage legalization, one of his most-touted accomplishments as governor.
He was also reportedly involved in the formation of the now-defunct Independent Democratic Conference, which gave control of the state Senate to Republicans.
November 2014: Andrew Cuomo elected to second gubernatorial term
Cuomo sought re-election in 2014, with former Rep. Kathy Hochul as running mate after then-Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy announced that he would not run again.
He defeated Republican Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino in the general election.
Mario Cuomo died on Jan. 1, 2015, within hours of his son being sworn in for his second term.
June 2017: Andrew Cuomo and the NYC subway crisis
Following a series of subway meltdowns, Cuomo declared a “state of emergency” in the transit system.
Under his administration, reports said the MTA had repeatedly diverted tax funds meant for the subways and instead spent on projects that didn’t help ease service issues, leaving the agency saddled with debt and the system in disrepair.
November 2018: Andrew Cuomo elected to third gubernatorial term
Cuomo survived a challenge from “Sex and the City” actress and activist Cynthia Nixon in the 2018 race, and beat out Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro in the general election.
With Democrats winning control of the Legislature, Cuomo signed several pieces of progressive legislation, including an expansion of abortion rights, an anti-sex trafficking bill and stricter gun control laws.
Early 2020: Andrew Cuomo hailed for coronavirus pandemic response
Cuomo’s popularity exploded during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, with New York emerging as the nation’s hotspot.
He was lauded, included by celebrities, for his daily COVID-19 briefings, in which he frequently criticized the federal government’s response, and emerged as the leading Democratic voice on the outbreak, gaining fans who dubbed themselves “Cuomosexuals.”
During this time, Cuomo made frequent TV appearances — including on his brother Chris Cuomo’s CNN show, engaging in often-cringey banter.
All this took place as Cuomo’s administration was allegedly covering up the COVID-19-related deaths at nursing homes.
October 2020: Andrew Cuomo publishes pandemic memoir
Cuomo struck a more than $5 million book deal about his handling of the outbreak.
The memoir, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic” came out in October 2020 and is now the subject of several investigations after it was reported that government staffers were allegedly brought on to work on the personal project.
November 2020: Andrew Cuomo wins an Emmy Award
Cuomo won the 2020 International Emmy Founders Award for his “exceptional use of television for public service” during the coronavirus pandemic.
Stars including Billy Joel, Billy Crystal, Robert De Niro, Rosie Perez and Ben Stiller recorded a special congratulatory message for the governor.
December 2020: Former aide Lindsey Boylan accuses Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment
Boylan, 36, becomes the first former Cuomo aide to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct, writing on Twitter: “Yes, @NYGovCuomo sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched.”
Early 2021: Nursing home scandal reaches new heights
On Jan. 28, 2021, a probe by state attorney general Letitia James found that the Cuomo administration undercounted coronavirus deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50 percent.
About two weeks later, The Post broke the stunning news that Cuomo’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa, had privately apologized to Democratic lawmakers for withholding the state’s nursing home death toll from COVID-19 — telling them “we froze” out of fear that the true numbers would “be used against us” by federal prosecutors.
The FBI and the US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn announced they would be probing the incident.
February 2021: More Andrew Cuomo accusers come forward
Boylan wrote an essay on Medium that the governor had harassed her multiple times between 2016 and 2018, when she worked as a state economic development official.
Charlotte Bennett, a former aide to Cuomo, told The New York Times in February that the governor asked her inappropriate personal questions, told her he was open to relationships with women in their 20s, and left her feeling that he “wanted to sleep with me.”
Cuomo calls for a “full and thorough review” of the allegations, and New York Attorney General Letitia James announces her office will hire and deputize outside lawyers to investigate.
March 2021: Pressure builds for Andrew Cuomo to resign, as allegations mount
As more allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior emerge, Cuomo faces pressure to resign from top Democrats, including from New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
More than 55 Democratic New York legislators also sign a letter calling on the governor to step down and the Assembly speaker approves an impeachment investigation.
August 3, 2021: Scathing AG report released
New York Attorney General Letitia James announces the findings of the months-long probe into the allegations conducted by two independent investigators.
The 168-page report concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women, including current and former government staffers, in violation of state and federal law.
He maintains that he “never touched anyone inappropriately.”
August 10, 2021: Andrew Cuomo resigns
With the threat of impeachment looming, Cuomo announces that he will step down in 14 days.
“I think that, given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside,” Cuomo said from his Manhattan office.
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