What We Know In regards to the DoJ’s Investigation Into Andrew Cuomo
Based on the Occasions, the U.S. Lawyer’s workplace in Washington, D.C. first opened the investigation final month following a legal referral from Home Republicans alleging that Cuomo lied to Congress. The workplace is at present being led by Jeanine Pirro, the previous Westchester County choose and prosecutor, who was tapped to be interim U.S. legal professional after Trump’s first alternative, Ed Martin, left the position after being unable to clear Senate affirmation. Pirro, a Trump loyalist greatest identified for her quite a few Fox Information packages, as soon as challenged Cuomo in an in the end unsuccessful bid to be state legal professional normal in 2006.
Wealthy Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, denounced the federal inquiry in an announcement to the Occasions. “We’ve got by no means been knowledgeable of any such matter, so why would somebody leak it now?” he mentioned. “The reply is apparent: That is lawfare and election interference plain and easy — one thing President Trump and his high Division of Justice officers say they’re towards.”
The Cuomo marketing campaign quickly issued a new advert, claiming that the inquiry exhibits that Trump needs to intervene within the metropolis’s election. The 30-second clip in contrast the investigation to the Justice Division’s current concentrating on of a Wisconsin choose and New Jersey LaMonica McIver who’re each at present dealing with federal expenses and notably invoked the Trump administration’s intent to research state Lawyer Basic Letitia James, a political foe of the previous governor.
“If Donald Trump doesn’t need Andrew Cuomo to be Mayor, you do,” a voiceover says.
The investigation comes after the Justice Division sought the dismissal of a federal corruption case towards Mayor Eric Adams, a controversial transfer that sparked resignations of division officers together with the highest federal prosecutor in Manhattan in protest of the order. Since his case was dismissed, Adams has continued to hunt reelection however has opted to run as an unbiased relatively than a Democrat.
