Governor Cuomo Leaves Punishment to God

By DYLAN CAMPBLL, MICHELLE CUMMINGS & THUY KYAW

Governor Andrew Cuomo denied Thursday that he had plans to punish the Working Families Party and its partners after they threw their support to his Democratic primary opponent Cynthia Nixon.

“It has nothing to do with me,” he told reporters after a barrage of questions at a press conference on an unrelated matter. “Punishment is for God,” he added with typical sang froid. “Who unions should support or not support, that’s up to the unions. Nobody’s going to tell them what to do.”

On Monday, WFP leaders had accused Cuomo of pulling their tax documents in a threat to their funding after their endorsement OF Nixon on Saturday. And WTP director Bill Lipton recently was quoted as saying, “If unions or anyone give money to any of these groups, they can lose my number.”

Though Cuomo’s press spokesperson dismissed the accusations, questions around the alleged threats bubbled up. In addition Cuomo reportedly had asked allies in labor unions to cut funds to progressive groups backing Nixon.

The governor had called the press conference to announce that he was sending 10 professionals from the New York Press Authority to help rebuild the power grid and highlight the rollout of a program to mobilize teams of SUNY and CUNY students and construction and building professionals to help rebuild Puerto Rico’s homes. The move came in the wake of a nearly total blackout on the island’s power grid on Wednesday.

However the questions about possible retaliation against Nixon supporters overshadowed the announcement of the initiative to help Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile progressive groups allied with Nixon took to the streets to demand that Cuomo not retaliate against them.

“The rally is to defend these community organizations who have been threatened with the loss of funding, who everyday are in the frontline of fighting against deportation, safe housing conditions and housing authorities,” said Lipton at the gathering in Foley Square, also attended by City Public Advocate Letitia James, state senators Brian Benjamin and James Sanders and other progressive leaders.

WFP is largely funded by labor organizations and cannot receive direct funding from the state.