What is Gov. Cuomo afraid of?
New York’s combative chief executive has never been one to shy away from a confrontation with his critics. But of late he seems to have turned tail and run from the press corps.
The threat: questions about such embarrassments as the FBI probe of his hiring practices, the upcoming corruption trial of his onetime right-hand man and the recent firing of a top official for sexual harassment.
Cuomo hasn’t held a formal sit-down with the reporters who regularly cover him since last June. And now he’s come up with something new: He only takes press questions in conference calls — with his aides choosing who gets to pose a query, and picking only reporters who agree on the topic in advance.
As one reporter noted, things are just one step away from the governor having his own staff interview him.
So much for the Andrew Cuomo who in his 2010 campaign vowed to “make the state government the most transparent and accountable in history.”
Since then, he’s been anything but, limiting his contacts to carefully controlled settings that must have President Trump green with envy. He’s cracked down on agency contacts with the press, restricted the release of information and even sent aides to monitor what records reporters are requesting from the State Archives.
Even Mayor de Blasio, hard as he tries to limit reporters’ questions, does answer.
The governor has instead retreated deep within Fortress Cuomo. Sure makes you think he’s got something to hide.