Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday blasted Governor Andrew Cuomo’s “bullying” against Assemblyman Ron Kim as he stood by Queens police saying, “I believe him.”
“It’s sad to say, Mika, but it’s the classic Andrew Cuomo,” Blasio told Mika Brzezinski on Thursday and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
The host asked Hizzoner to weigh in on Cuomo’s alleged threats to “destroy” Kim if he did not change a public statement related to the residency scandal.
De Blasio, who has publicly sided with the governor, even during the COVID-19 crisis, said Cuomo’s reaction was nothing new.
“A lot of people in New York State have received these calls,” Blasio said. “Harassment is nothing new. I think Ron Kim is very, very sad. No public official, no person telling the truth should be treated this way.
“The threats, the contempt, the demand that someone change their statement at this time, many, many times I have heard it and I know many other people in the state who have heard it.”
Later in his daily press conference, the mayor again gave his support behind Kim, reiterating that it has been in order to receive harsh conversations with his state counterpart.
“Many times,” he said of Blasio. “I think Ron Kim … I believe him and he didn’t deserve to be treated that way and I admire him for introducing himself and explaining exactly what happened.”
He added that Cuomo’s treatment of Kim, whose uncle died of COVID in a residence, “was not acceptable.”
“Ron Kim was trying to raise real concerns and honest concerns on behalf of the families of this city, of this state, who have lost loved ones, and that deserves respect and was not given respect,” Blasio said.
Kim said Cuomo’s alleged phone call threat came on Feb. 11, a day after Governor Melissa DeRosa’s impressive admission to a conference call with lawmakers that the state retained the truth. number of deaths of nursing home residents, for fear it would be “Used against us” in a federal investigation.
Cuomo allegedly called Kim warning, “You haven’t seen my anger,” as he demanded that Kim issue a statement saying Melissa DeRosa said there was a federal investigation and that they had to deal with it first. “
“I can tell everyone what a bad person you are and you’ll end up,” Kim recalled, telling Cuomo.
“You will be destroyed.”
Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi accused Kim of “lying about his conversation” with the governor, denying that threats had ever been exchanged.
Asked for De Blasio’s name, Azzopardi referred to his 800-word statement on Wednesday, which noted the governor’s and Kim’s “long and hostile relationship.”