New from me and @MarkMorales51: Cuomo said 'he can destroy me': NY assemblyman alleges governor threatened him over nursing homes scandal

@MarkMorales51 Democratic NY Assemblyman Ron Kim told CNN that Gov. Cuomo called last Thursday to “threaten my career if I did not cover up for Melissa [DeRosa] and what she said.” Cuomo also said “I hadn't seen his wrath and that he can destroy me,” according to Kim. https://t.co/w4Y2CPPUsY
@MarkMorales51 Kim's wife told CNN she overheard parts of the phone call and heard Cuomo say, "Who do you think you are?" as well as the words, "my wrath," and that immediately after the phone call, her husband told her: "The governor threatened to destroy my life." https://t.co/w4Y2CPPUsY
@MarkMorales51 CNN first reached out to Cuomo's office for comment on TUESDAY. In a written statement, his communications director did not directly respond to or deny Kim's allegation of threats from the governor in a written statement. https://t.co/w4Y2CPPUsY
@MarkMorales51 Ultimately, Cuomo's office sent another statement from senior adviser Rich Azzopardi late Wednesday morning that said: "Kim's assertion that the governor said he would 'destroy him' is false." https://t.co/w4Y2CPPUsY
@MarkMorales51 Around the same time that Azzopardi's statement was sent to CNN today, Cuomo began a previously scheduled press conference call on the coronavirus, and discussed his office's "long and hostile relationship" with Kim. https://t.co/w4Y2CPPUsY
@MarkMorales51 Importantly from our story: CNN also spoke with three other New York legislators who said they were aware of outreach from Cuomo in which he clearly suggested or explicitly threatened political retaliation if they did not stand by him. https://t.co/w4Y2CPPUsY
@MarkMorales51 One NY state senator said they heard directly from multiple colleagues whom Cuomo had reached out to, and that the governor threatened some by warning he could ruin their political careers if they supported weakening his executive powers.
https://t.co/w4Y2CPPUsY
@MarkMorales51 More on the Kim/Cuomo phone call: Azzopardi also said in a statement to CNN: "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." https://t.co/w4Y2CPPUsY
@MarkMorales51 Kim says he didn't recall Cuomo making specific reference to Queens, but that Cuomo had asked him: "Mr. Kim, are you an honorable man?" before proceeding to suggest that the honorable thing for Kim to do would be to put out a statement of support. https://t.co/w4Y2CPPUsY

More from Government

Let me take a stab at this after years of reporting on Marine One, HMX-1, Continuity of Government, etc. None of this is definitive, but it could help explain what folks are seeing:

1.) HMX-1, which flies the VH-3D and VH-60N 'White Top' helicopters used to move... 1/X


the President and VP around, those helos being called Marine One or Two when either is onboard, need to train. The urban landing zones, including WH and VP Residence, are not simple to get in and out of. So, crews need some currency training. They are not just tasked with... 2/X

moving POTUS and VP to get them around the region and to Andrews AFB for long-haul flights, they are essential to Continuity of Government operations. This means that if a threat were to emerge, they need to be ready to snatch POTUS and VP in minutes. This is partially... 3/X

why they have a full forward operating location at Naval Support Activity Anacostia, just 3 miles from the WH. As such, practice is important and considering the state of things, it is critical now more than in any recent memory. 4/X

2.) Considering what happened last week, including mobs of Trump supporters screaming in unison to hang the VP for doing what the constitution states, absolutely despicable in every way, security has been tightened just as it has been all over. Using the helicopters instead.. 5/X
If you're curious what Trump's defense will look like, all you have to do is turn on Fox News. My latest at @mmfa

The tl;dr is that for years right-wing media have been excusing Trump's violent rhetoric by going, "Yes, but THE DEMOCRATS..." and then bending themselves into knots to pretend that Dems were calling for violence when they very, very clearly weren't.

And in fact, this predates Trump.

In 2008, Obama was talking about not backing down in the face of an ugly campaign. He said "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun."

https://t.co/i5YaQJsKop


That quote was from the movie The Untouchables. And there's no way anybody reading that quote in good faith could conclude that he was talking about actual guns and knives. But it became a big talking point on the

In 2018, Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder was speaking to a group of Georgia Democrats about GOP voter suppression. He riffed on Michelle Obama's "When they go low, we go high" line from the 2016 DNC.

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