Cuomo’s Woes + NYC Schools Chancellor Resigns

Local News

• Lindsey Boylan, a former Albany staffer who in December accused Governor Cuomo of sexually harassing her, published a Medium post, backed up with emails and screenshots and including specific allegations, including that he kissed her without consent and suggested she play strip poker with him. Since Boylan’s Medium post, another Cuomo aide has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment. State legislators want an investigation into the allegations against Cuomo, but want to ensure the process is independent, unlike previous ethics investigations that the Governor has quashed.
• After two former aides accused Governor Cuomo of sexual harassment, he tried to control the investigation, first proposing an “independent” investigation by a former judge with ties to the Governor, and then, when that idea was poorly received, an investigation led by someone chosen jointly by the State Attorney General and Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals. State AG Letitia James rejected that proposal, and asked Cuomo to officially refer the matter to her office.
• A new poll found that Governor Andrew Cuomo’s approval ratings have dropped some in the wake of his administration’s decision to withhold data about COVID deaths in nursing homes, however his approval rating remains substantially higher than pre-pandemic levels. The poll was conducted before the latest harassment allegations.
• During last year’s budget negotiations, Cuomo received over $126,000 in donations from groups protected by the liability shield he inserted into the final package.
• The developer behind the proposed Crown Heights towers that would overshadow parts of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden has put forward alternative plans featuring shorter buildings but even fewer, or no, affordable housing units.
• NYC Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza is resigning, effective March 15, to be replaced by Bronx superintendent Meisha Porter.
• Despite the NYPD’s Civilian Complaint Review Board substantiating a charge that detective Fabio Nunez used an illegal chokehold, Nunez has not faced any discipline by the department, highlighting the impunity officers have to disregard any supposed checks on the department.

Elections

• NYC-DSA endorsed City Council candidates Adolfo Abreu, Jaslin Kaur, and Brandon West released an op-ed in The Indypendent calling for a People’s Budget that raises taxes on the wealthy and shifts public funds from policing to education, housing, and other social services.
• Alexa Aviles, DSA-endorsed City Council candidate in Sunset Park, published an op-ed in Gotham Gazette regarding safe school reopening policies.
• A state Supreme Court judge threw out the court case challenging the candidate petitioning process, meaning that petitioning will likely go forward as planned. Petitioning is the necessary campaign work in which candidates must collect signatures from a minimum number of registered voters in order to appear on a ballot.