NY Democrat assemblyman alleges Cuomo threatened to 'destroy' him over nursing home deaths scandal

"Gov. Cuomo called me directly on Thursday to threaten my career if I did not cover up for Melissa [DeRosa] and what she said," Kim said.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

New York State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-NY40) reported that he had been on the receiving end of threats issued from Governor Andrew Cuomo.

"Gov. Cuomo called me directly on Thursday to threaten my career if I did not cover up for Melissa [DeRosa] and what she said," Kim said, according to The New York Times. "He tried to pressure me to issue a statement, and it was a very traumatizing experience."

He said that Cuomo told him that "we're in this business together and we don't cross certain lines and he said I hadn't seen his wrath and that he can destroy me."

Melissa DeRosa is a top Cuomo aide who reported that the cover-up of the number of nursing home deaths in the state was intentional, in order for the Cuomo administration to avoid political fallout.

Cuomo has blamed everyone he could for the nursing home deaths and the ensuing cover-up. Cuomo blamed, primarily, the "void," saying that the "void begets disinformation," and that disinformation results in pain of individuals.

The beleaguered governor has been doing what he can to face down the nursing home debacle in his state. After Attorney General Letitia James released the findings of an investigation conducted by her office which showed that the state underreported deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50 percent, Cuomo has been fending off attacks from left, right, and everything in between.

Kim, who represents the Flushing neighborhood in the borough of Queens, New York City, has been outspoken about the nursing home failures in the state. He believes additionally that his uncle died from COVID in a nursing home unnecessarily.

Kim said that "No man has ever spoken to me like that in my entire life... At some point he tried to humiliate me, asking: 'Are you a lawyer? I didn't think so. You're not a lawyer.' It almost felt like in retrospect he was trying to bait me and anger me and say something inappropriate. I'm glad I didn't."

Kim said that Cuomo continued to try to reach him through the weekend. Cuomo senior adviser Rich Azzopardi issued a statement on Wednesday that read: "Kim's assertion that the governor said he would 'destroy him' is false... The Governor has three witnesses to the conversation. The operable words were to the effect of, 'I am from Queens, too, and people still expect honor and integrity in politics.'"

Kim stands by his assertion that he was threatened by the governor.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Join and support independent free thinkers!

We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.

Support The Post Millennial

Remind me next month

To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
ADVERTISEMENT
© 2024 The Post Millennial, Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Personal Information