NYC mayoral front-runners spar over previous controversies in heated debate

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Entrance-runners for New York Metropolis mayor, Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, wasted little time attacking one another on alleged private scandals they've been concerned in throughout a Wednesday night time debate between the pair and GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa.

Mamdani and Sliwa took the chance throughout Wednesday's debate to drill down on previous sexual harassment allegations in opposition to Cuomo, the previous governor of New York, forward of an impeachment inquiry that preceded Cuomo's 2021 resignation. Cuomo was additionally hit by Mamdani over accusations he has – whereas in public workplace – failed to fulfill with Muslim constituents and solely started doing so amid stress from his mayoral marketing campaign, and over his alleged poor dealing with of the COVID-19 virus in New York after Cuomo was celebration to issuing steerage forcing nursing properties and long-term care services to confess COVID-19 constructive sufferers.

In the meantime, Cuomo didn't maintain again on focusing on Mamdani over alleged controversies which have embattled his marketing campaign. Cuomo blasted the self-proclaimed socialist over his lack of expertise, ties to radical politics, and previous radical feedback about legislation enforcement, Israel and the state of affairs in Gaza.

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All three candidates for NEw York Metropolis governor debated Wednesday night time. From left to proper: Andrew Cuomo, Curtis Sliwa and Zohran Mamdani. (Picture by Angelina Katsanis-Pool/Getty Photos)

"My fundamental opponent has no new concepts. He has no new plan. … He is by no means run something, managed something. He is by no means had an actual job," Cuomo stated of Mamdani in the course of the debate. Cuomo additionally branded Mamdani as somebody who has confirmed to be "a divisive pressure in New York," pointing to previous incidents which have garnered Mamdani warmth from critics.

A kind of incidents included an image he took with a hard-lined Ugandan lawmaker who has pushed insurance policies of imprisoning folks for being homosexual, which Mamdani took whereas taking a break from the marketing campaign path to go to his dwelling nation of Uganda for a marriage. Cuomo additionally hit the controversy over whether or not Mamdani helps Jewish New Yorkers, as his critics have claimed he's anti-Israel pointing to statements he has made, like "globalize the intifada."

Cuomo additionally accused Mamdani of disrespecting Italian-Individuals after a video of him surfaced giving the center finger to a statue of Christopher Columbus, whereas additionally pointing to criticism the self-proclaimed socialist candidate has garnered from 9/11 first-responders after posting a photograph with a Muslim cleric who served as a personality witness for the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 assaults.

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FIERY NYC MAYORAL DEBATE: 'HE LITERALLY HAS NEVER HAD A JOB'

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (left) shakes fingers on the talk stage with Democratic Occasion candidate for New York Metropolis mayor (proper) Zohran Mamdani. Cuomo is operating as an Unbiased after lsoing to Mamdani within the main election. (Photographer: Angelina Katsanis/AP)

"You've gotten been a divisive pressure in New York, and I consider that is poisonous power for New York. It is with the Jewish neighborhood. It is with the Italian-American neighborhood – if you give the Columbus statue the finger. It is with the Sunni Muslims if you say decriminalize prostitution, which is Haram. It is the Hindus," Cuomo continued. "Then, you are taking an image with Rebecca Kadaga, deputy Prime Minister of Uganda. … She's often known as Rebecca ‘Homosexual Killer.’ … You are a citizen of Uganda. You took the image. You stated you did not know who she was. It seems you probably did. How do you not resign your citizenship or demand BDS in opposition to Uganda for imprisoning people who find themselves homosexual simply by their sexual orientation? Is not {that a} primary violation of human rights?"

Mamdani shot again that his politics have remained "constant" and that they're constructed on a perception in human rights for all folks, together with LGBTQ+ of us. Had he recognized Kadga's function in drafting laws to imprison homosexual of us, Mamdani stated, he by no means would have taken the image.

"This fixed try to smear and slander me is an try to additionally distract from the truth that, in contrast to myself, you don't even have a platform or a set of insurance policies," Mamdani shot again at Cuomo earlier than introducing his personal claims in regards to the former governor concerning previous accusations of sexual harassment.

MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: 'YOU WON'T SUPPORT ISRAEL'

New York Metropolis mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo slammed his democratic socialist opponent Zohran Mamdani throughout Wednesday's debate for a wide range of alleged scandals he has been concerned in. (Angelina Katsanis/Getty; Angelina Katsanis/Getty)

"Mr. Cuomo. In 2021, 13 completely different ladies who labored in your administration credibly accused you of sexual harassment. Since then, you will have spent greater than $20 million in taxpayer funds to defend your self, all whereas describing these allegations as totally political," Mamdani stated whereas attacking Cuomo Wednesday night time.

"You've gotten even gone as far as to legally go after these ladies. A kind of ladies, Charlotte Bennett, is right here within the viewers this night. You sought to entry her non-public gynecological information. She can not communicate up for herself since you lodged a defamation case in opposition to her. I, nonetheless, can communicate. What do you say to the 13 ladies that you just sexually harassed?"

Cuomo, in 2021, was accused of a number of incidents of sexual harassment that preceded his resignation as governor that yr. A subsequent report from New York Legal professional Common Letitia James confirmed Cuomo "sexually harassed a number of ladies from 2013 by means of 2020," whereas in January 2024, the U.S. Division of Justice introduced it had reached a virtually $500,000 settlement with Cuomo's govt workplace over one of many claims. Nonetheless, no prison expenses have been ever filed in opposition to Cuomo, with some district attorneys citing inadequate proof.

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Cuomo defended himself in opposition to Mamdani's accusations, noting the instances have been ultimately dropped, earlier than returning to questions on Mamdani's alleged previous.

In the meantime, Sliwa did not skip a chance to slam Cuomo over the sexual assault allegations both, saying early within the debate throughout a dialogue about homelessness that Cuomo "fled" the governor's workplace amid an impeachment inquiry that was investigating him.

"Andrew, you did not ‘go away.’ You fled from being impeached by the Democrats within the state legislature," Sliwa started earlier than moving into the homelessness concern, incomes him a round-of-applause from the viewers.