ALBANY — It’s not easy being green. Gov. Cuomo spent Earth Day at a Long Island event featuring a pair of fellow Dems who have called on him to step down amid sexual harassment allegations.
Cuomo was in East Rockaway on Thursday for a press-free outdoor event celebrating the groundbreaking of the Bay Park Conveyance Project. Sen. Todd Kaminsky and Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, both Nassau Democrats, and several environmental advocates joined the embattled governor in applauding the $439 million project to redirect treated sewage.
Kaminsky, one of five Long Island Democratic senators who called on Cuomo to hand power over to Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul as the attorney general’s office oversees an investigation into his conduct, didn’t mention the governor by name as he touted the new project.
“Sen. Kaminsky fought for years to get the investments in Nassau County announced today by he and others,” said Hailie Meyers, Kaminsky’s chief of staff. “The governor was there today in his official capacity and so was Sen. Kaminsky, as the proponent of this project.
“Sen. Kaminsky’s position on the governor has been clear and has not changed. Sen. Kaminsky also believes strongly that this event and others should be open to press,” she added.
Cuomo has held a spate of press-free events in recent months and only taken limited questions via phone or remote access as he faces an impeachment inquiry, an independent investigation into misconduct allegation being overseen by Attorney General Letitia James’ office and a federal probe into how his administration handled COVID deaths in nursing homes.
The governor has denied any wrongdoing and said he’s never touched anyone inappropriately.
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) became the first fellow Dem who has called for his resignation amid the mounting scandals to appear publicly with the governor. The pair attended an event to promote vaccinations at the Yonkers Police Athletic League Center in Stewart-Cousins’ district.
A spokesman for the senator said that her “position on the governor has not changed” but noted that it is “important that people get vaccinated and she has been pushing to expand access to this location for a long time.”
Griffin, who has also called on Cuomo to resign, thanked the governor and his team “for their leadership” during her remarks at Thursday’s groundbreaking.
Asked Monday during a remote briefing about when reporters will be able to attend official events, Cuomo said that it is “purely a function of the COVID safety requirements.”
“When we do a call like this, we can get 200 reporters who are listening and calling in,” Cuomo said. “If we do an event in the city, we can get 50 reporters in a small room like this. But obviously, we want to practice what we preach and we’re preaching social distancing against large gatherings, etc.”
Source (Ny Daily news)