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New York State Sen. John Liu calls for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign on \u2018FOX News Live.\u2019<\/p>\n
New leaked audio shows just how far embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo has gone to threaten his critics.<\/p>\n
A New York Times podcast Friday revealed the audio of a 2018 telephone conversation where Cuomo threatened to compare a progressive leader to a “child rapist” because he wasn\u2019t happy with the group\u2019s tepid political endorsement of him.<\/p>\n
The recording adds to the growing revelations against the New York executive who is facing an onslaught of sexual harassment and bullying claims.<\/p>\n
The New York Times reported the text of the phone conversation between Cuomo and Bill Lipton, the head of the Working Families Party, back in February. At the time, Cuomo\u2019s office said the exchange was untrue.<\/p>\n
But on Friday, The Times\u2019 “Daily” podcast published the audio of that call that confirmed indeed Cuomo threatened to brand his critic as a better alternative to a pedophile over a mere political dispute.<\/p>\n
The Working Families Party (WFP) had backed “Sex and the City” actress Cynthia Nixon over Cuomo during the Democratic primary in 2018. After Nixon lost, the WFP decided to support Cuomo in the general election in November as a better alternative to Republican Marc Molinaro.<\/p>\n
“If you ever say, ‘Well he’s better than a Republican’ again, then I’m gonna say, ‘You’re better than a child rapist.’ How about that?” Cuomo is heard telling Lipton on the call, according to the New York Times audio.<\/p>\n
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\n US-HEALTH-VIRUS-CUOMO New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks to people at a vaccination site on March 8, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Seth Wenig \/ POOL \/ AFP) (Photo by SETH WENIG\/POOL\/AFP via Getty Images)\n <\/p>\n
Lipton tells Cuomo that they have differences and it\u2019s fine for both sides to point them out. “Governor, I apologize, but I gotta clarify one thing. You\u2019re free to say whatever you want, governor, but I just want to be clear. Our line is going to be that we have differences with you, but our differences with Republicans are far greater,” Lipton says.<\/p>\n
Angry over the lackluster support, Cuomo then repeated his threat: “I think you\u2019re better than a child rapist.”<\/p>\n
Reached Saturday by Fox News, a spokesman for the governor said Cuomo didn\u2019t remember the exchange with Lipton.<\/p>\n
“This three-year-old conversation happened after a very contentious political campaign where things were charged on all sides,” Rich Azzopardi said in a statement to Fox News. “He doesn’t remember it occurring, but from how it has been described he was clearly being hyperbolic to illustrate the offensive nature of the WFP’s own name calling.”<\/p>\n
The new audio adds fodder to the growing list of people coming forward saying they\u2019ve had to endure bullying and threats from the governor over a period of years. The bullying allegations are in addition to at least eight women accusing Cuomo of sexual harassment and misconduct.<\/p>\n
On Friday a current aide to Cuomo, Alyssa McGrath, was the latest woman to step forward. She described several instances of alleged inappropriate behavior in an interview with the New York Times. She said Cuomo commented on her looks and ogled her body in the workplace.<\/p>\n