Cuomo Quotes Bible, Rips 'Nation of Tweets' at Church Appearance

It's not clear whether disgraced former governor is plotting a political comeback
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 7, 2022 1:03 AM CST
Cuomo Rips 'Cancel Culture' in Campaign-Style Appearance
Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa, left, joins New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as he speaks to reporters during a news conference on Sept. 14, 2018, in New York.   (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

Just six months after he resigned from office in disgrace over sexual harassment allegations, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo appeared to be hinting at a political comeback in remarks at a Brooklyn church on Sunday, the AP reports. The Democrat made a campaign-like stop at the church Sunday, delivering a speech in which he condemned “cancel culture." The public appearance, his first since leaving office, came a week after Cuomo’s campaign launched a digital and television advertising campaign pushing a similar message: He was driven from office unfairly. Cuomo quoted the Bible several times as he described his travails then went on the offensive to attack the “political sharks” in Albany who, he said, “smelled blood” and exploited the situation for political gain.

“The Bible teaches perseverance, it teaches us to get off the mat," he said. "They broke my heart but they didn’t break my spirit. I want to take the energy that could have made me bitter and make us better.” He also claimed "prosecutorial misconduct,” repeating a theme he has pushed from the outset: “They used cancel culture to effectively overturn an election.” Democratic state Attorney General Letitia James, who released the report last summer that concluded Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, hit back at the former governor Sunday via a statement from her reelection campaign. “Serial sexual harasser Andrew Cuomo won't even spare a house of worship from his lies,” James' campaign said. “Even though multiple independent investigations found his victims to be credible, Cuomo continues to blame everyone but himself.”

Cuomo acknowledged his behavior wasn’t appropriate but quickly added that nothing he did violated the law. “I didn’t appreciate how fast the perspectives changed,” he said. “I’ve learned a powerful lesson and paid a very high price for learning that lesson. God isn’t finished with me yet.” Cuomo hasn’t said he’s running for office, but is still sitting on a multimillion dollar campaign war chest he could use to finance another run. Cuomo used his platform Sunday mostly to condemn a social media-fueled climate he said is growing and dangerous. “Any accusation can trigger condemnation without facts or due process,” he said. “We are a nation of laws, not a nation of tweets. Woe unto us if we allow that to become our new justice system.”

(More Andrew Cuomo stories.)

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