Topics have run the gambit from taxes and gun laws to football and unicorns. Through it all Astorino, a Hawthorne resident, has made a point to tie Cuomo, who lives in New Castle, with the culture of corruption in Albany.
“There is no one more corrupt than Andrew Cuomo,” he said. “And I don’t like to say that. But, the fact of the matter is he’s being investigated for criminal activity by federal prosecutors for his role in the Moreland scandal.”
Federal prosecutors are investigating whether Cuomo or his staff pressured the anti-corruption panel to keep cases of public corruption from prosecutors. Cuomo formed the panel in 2013 to weed out any corruption in the state government. He disbanded it in March when lawmakers agreed to ethics reforms.
Astorino said Cuomo was “born and raised in the Albany culture of corruption,” referring to his father, Mario Cuomo, who served three terms as governor from 1983 to 1994.
“Nobody knows the system better and plays it better than Andrew Cuomo,” he said.
Cuomo has not commented publicly on the federal investigation.
Cuomo’s camp has focus on painting Astorino as ultra-conservative, and has even accused him in one television ad of “racketeering, conspiracy and fraud,” based on a civil lawsuit brought against him leading up to the 2013 election for Westchester County executive. The suit was filed by the Westchester County Independence Party chair.
Astorino sent cease-and-desist letters to the television stations that aired the ad, some agreeing to take it off the air. Not one to miss an opportunity, one of the letters takes a parting shot at Cuomo’s role in the Moreland Commission investigation.
"Finally, Mr. Astorino is not the subject of any criminal investigation by any prosecutorial agency. Unfortunately, Governor Cuomo cannot say the same,” Michael Lawler, Astorino’s campaign manager, wrote in the letter.
The two candidates finally came face-to-face Friday after Astorino crashed Cuomo’s speech at a business group meeting upstate. Staking him out before the event, Astorino forced the pleasantries of a handshake and smile in the five-second encounter. As Cuomo walked away the GOP candidate asked for a debate, to which the governor replied, "Yes."
Until then, the race for governor will continue to be waged through campaign ads.
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