22 July 2021: Team Cuomo Member Singled Out for Smear Attacks

NYS lawmaker leading Cuomo impeachment probe troubled by Gov. aide’s comments about Attorney General James

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's chief PR flack Richard Azzopardi recent smear attacks on New York's state attorney general and lawyers conducting a criminal investigation of Cuomo's alleged misconduct in office are being rebuked by Assemblyman Charles Lavine, the chairman of the Assembly's judiciary committee overseeing its impeachment investigation of the governor.

The lawmaker leading the impeachment investigation into Gov. Cuomo is “extraordinarily concerned” about comments made by one of the governor’s top aides about Attorney General Letitia James.

Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Nassau) penned a letter to Cuomo Wednesday likening remarks made by senior adviser Rich Azzopardi to a “verbal attack” against James as the attorney general heads up an independent probe into allegations of sexual harassment against the governor.

“I am extraordinarily concerned with respect to the Governor’s communications director’s verbal attack against the Attorney General,” Lavine said. “Demeaning the Attorney General in turn demeans the Attorney General’s investigation and at the same time sends an obviously intimidating message to potential witnesses.”...

Lavine specifically pointed to a tweet from last week in which Azzopardi slammed James, saying “she has said she may run against the governor.”

The Long Island lawmaker, chairman of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, wrote that the statements are “difficult to comprehend” since he previously warned the governor that such actions could have a chilling effect on witnesses in his chamber’s impeachment investigation.

And yet, Andrew M. Cuomo has all but given a green light for loyalist Azzopardi to issue such statements, which suggests he places little weight on the Assembly's impeachment investigation led by Lavine.

Meanwhile, Azzopardi essentially "lawyered-up" in responding to media inquiries about Lavine's letter:

When asked for comment about Lavine’s letter, Azzopardi referred to a statement from Cuomo’s acting counsel Beth Garvey.

“There is a clear difference between actionable retaliation and protected speech and it is clear that the Chairman doesn’t understand the difference,” she said. “We will have a formal response forthcoming.”

No word on whether Garvey is responsible for Andrew M. Cuomo's unique interpretation of what constitutes sexual harassment under New York's state law.

In the meantime, we suspect Andrew M. Cuomo's search for better PR people and more legal help is likely to continue.