Andrew Cuomo is angry. Despite resigning in disgrace this past summer, he now spends his days plotting his comeback and revenge against anyone he has marked as a political enemy. This week, in response to timely legislation that I have introduced, I have apparently been added to that long list which includes elected officials, members of the media, and about a dozen women who have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment found credible by the state’s Attorney General and the Assembly impeachment committee.
As some might have seen, last week Senator Alexis Weik and I have introduced the “Predator Portrait Prevention Act” which creates a new process, whereby any governor who has resigned from office would need an affirmative vote of the state legislature before their portrait can be added to the New York State Capitol’s storied Hall of Governors.
Currently the only portraits missing from the collection are Governor Andrew Cuomo, our eighth Governor Nathaniel Pitcher who served for 10 months in 1828 and for whom no suitable picture has been found, and “Client Number 9” Governor Elliot Spitzer who was ironically prevented from submitting a portrait by Andrew Cuomo, who rightly believed that Spitzer should be disallowed after he resigned in disgrace when it was discovered he had been patronizing prostitutes.
Each year thousands of New Yorkers visit their Capitol, which has become a treasured educational experience and destination for school children and families across the empire state.
After resigning in disgrace following numerous allegations of predatory sexual behavior with female staff, including a State Trooper, paired with apparent obstruction of justice by withholding information related to thousands of deaths of loved ones in nursing homes, and the abuse of state resources and staff to write his $5.1 Million COVID memoir, the last place Andrew Cuomo’s photo should be hanging is a place of honor in our state capitol.
I have no doubt that Andrew Cuomo will pay for his crimes and misdeeds in due course, but as a state legislator, as a father of a little girl, and as the top Republican on the Education Committee, I cannot in good conscience sit idly by as Andrew Cuomo plans to commission a portrait of himself to hang alongside leaders like Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Governor George Pataki, who each served with integrity.
We do not glorify or extol predators by giving them portraits in the state capitol. Having a portrait is a privilege and not a right. It would be a real insult to the countless victims of assault for our state to honor sexual predators and any governor that may be impeached or resign in disgrace and not complete their elected term or terms of office.
Our state has come together to overcome great challenges these many months. After abusing countless women and the public trust, Andrew Cuomo’s portrait will not be hanging in a place of honor on my watch. That’s not “New York Tough” and I won’t stand for it.
