Metro

Challengers blast ‘corrupt’ Cuomo in debate he skips

That’s what you get for not showing up.

Gov. Cuomo got slam-dunked in absentia Thursday as two rivals from opposite sides of the political spectrum spent 40 minutes bashing him in a “debate” on WNYC radio.

Lefty Democrat Zephyr Teachout and righty Republican Rob Astorino, who don’t agree on most issues, found it easy to be on the same side when it came to denouncing Cuomo as “corrupt” for meddling in an anti-corruption commission he established and suddenly shut down.

“The Moreland Commission scandal is exactly what’s wrong with this state. You have a governor now being investigated for criminal activity,” said Astorino, Westchester’s county executive.

“He’s under investigation for potential witness tampering, obstruction of justice. Pure power is what he is about.”

Astorino said Cuomo, a Democrat heavily favored to win a second term, is refusing to debate in part “because his criminal defense attorneys are advising him not speak.”

And when host Brian Lehrer asked if Cuomo was “corrupt,” the governnor’s two opponents pounced.

“Yes, absolutely,” Astorino replied without hesitation.

“This whole administration is built on a fraud. He has spent over $200 million in tax money to set up crony capitalism,” Astorino said, referring to the START-UP NY business program.

Teachout kept up the assault on Cuomo.

“Unfortunately. his [Cuomo’s] behavior continually is serving his own interests ahead of the interests of the public,” said Teachout, an associate professor of law at Fordham.

“Regardless of your ideology, [that] suggests that at heart he is what we typically call corrupt.”

Cuomo has maintained that he acted appropriately in his dealings with the anti-corruption Moreland Commission panel. But he has not commented in recent weeks on the actions, citing a probe by Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara.

Both candidates slammed Cuomo for refusing to commit to any debates.

Astorino called Cuomo’s stance “despicable.”

Earlier this week, Cuomo said debates aren’t always good for democracy, a possible reference to the 2010 gubernatorial debates that featured Jimmy McMillan of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party.

“I’ve been in many debates that I think were a disservice to democracy,” Cuomo told reporters at the time.

“Anybody who says debates are always a service to democracy hasn’t watched all the debates that I’ve been in.”

Cuomo’s campaign didn’t respond directly to the attacks during the radio “debate.” But the governor’s supporters did.

The nerviest was Jeff Klein (D-Bronx), who has teamed up with Republicans to run the state Senate, but saw nothing ironic in blasting Teachout for giving publicity to a Republican.

“If Zephyr Teachout actually cares about Democrats, she should stop doing debates that elevate an extreme conservative,” recommended Klein, who cut a deal to help the Democrats run the Senate next year.