As Cuomo eyes return to politics, critics mobilize

NEW YORK — A former campaign strategist to ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo is leading an effort to counter his potential political comeback.

Peter Kauffmann, a longtime communications adviser and operative who worked on two of Cuomo’s campaigns, is overseeing a new organization that’s out with a digital ad on Wednesday eviscerating the Democrat’s handling of Covid.

The group of self-described business and labor interests, New Yorkers for Better Government, did not say how much it is spending on the 30-second ad or how much it has raised. It is structured in a way that allows it to shield its donors from public disclosure.

Kauffmann’s is the first formal public venture to dissuade New Yorkers from supporting a former official like Cuomo as he considers running for office several years after his stunning downfall from national political celebrity to disgraced politician.

“People look at the situation right now and see a real crisis of leadership,” Kauffmann said in an interview. “We feel very strongly that there should be some accountability for responsible and ethical civic engagement and good governance.”

“We will be educating New Yorkers about the impact that mismanagement, bullying, petty feuds, sexual harassment — how all those things have a direct impact on the ability of government to deliver for the people it represents,” Kauffmann added.

Kauffmann was involved in the New York City government’s response to Covid under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Cuomo nemesis.

Cuomo has been considering a run for mayor amid worsening legal troubles for Mayor Eric Adams, who recently pleaded not guilty to a five-count federal corruption indictment. The former governor has been calling potential allies to build support for a mayoral run, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The prospect of Cuomo’s restoration to power has alarmed New York Democrats, and this group could put up a significant roadblock to his aspirations by reminding voters of his troubles — particularly if it raises enough money to air TV ads.

Cuomo resigned in 2021 after state Attorney General Tish James’ office found he sexually harassed 11 women. He has also been criticized for his handling of nursing home residents’ deaths in the initial weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic and how the state reported those fatalities during his administration.

Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing on both fronts.

The digital ad focuses heavily on Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic, a crisis that initially made him a national star when viewers were taken by his commanding performance at his daily press briefings amid an unprecedented crisis. Cuomo and his team have long asserted the Covid-related criticism is merely a Republican talking point.

“At a time when government at all levels are facing a crisis in competence and the city itself is still dealing with the migrant situation, along with rising homelessness, anti-Semitism and an affordability fueled exodus, these de Blasio refugees are bear-hugging MAGA lies in some sort of legally dubious dark money exercise while real, actual, crucial elections for the White House and Congress are hitting the home stretch,” Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said. “Governor Cuomo believes these are the issues that need to be focused on and will leave the silliness and pettiness to others.”

Despite the scandals, the former governor is considered a strong candidate in a field of otherwise little-known candidates.

Polls have shown Cuomo outpacing potential Democratic rivals in a hypothetical matchup. He has near-universal name identification, and his team expects he will be able to leverage his decade of accomplishments — like same-sex marriage and gun control measures — in any campaign.

Out of office, Cuomo has courted the support of religious Jews and Black voters — two important blocs of the New York electorate that would be essential for his victory, and two demographics that make up Adams’ base.

But New Yorkers’ memories of Cuomo’s final months in office could also be jogged as a result of the ad campaign.

The ad highlights Cuomo’s recent testimony to a House panel investigating the governmental response to the pandemic and his administration’s handling of nursing home fatalities.

Republicans on the House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic have accused Cuomo of misleading testimony over altering a state Department of Health report. Cuomo’s team has pointed to the former governor’s transcribed interview that shows him answering he did not recall seeing the report as a rebuttal to the allegation he misled lawmakers.

Meanwhile the ad’s inclusion of Weiner and Spitzer address a different problem for Cuomo. Both men resigned following high-profile sex scandals and fell short in their attempts to rehabilitate their reputations with comeback bids.

The inclusion of Spitzer could be especially triggering for Cuomo, who has made little secret of how much he detests his predecessor.

Even with a modest spend behind the ad, it could attract more donors — or warn against support for Cuomo.

The organization is a 501(c)4 “social welfare” nonprofit, an arrangement that frees the group from disclosing its donors. But the designation also limits its political engagement.

Kauffmann would not disclose the organization’s funders or supporters.

He also said activities from the organization will ramp up after the upcoming election. The group plans to further warn that poor leadership can impact government services.

The formation of the group is the latest effort from Democrats that could thwart a Cuomo revival.

Former New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a campaign memo that outlined Cuomo’s political vulnerabilities, including his handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic.

And some Democrats — including allies of Cuomo’s successor in Albany, Gov. Kathy Hochul — have urged James, the attorney general, to enter the race for mayor. That prospect could box out Cuomo, since they share a coveted base of working-class Black voters from Brooklyn.

James has publicly insisted she is not a candidate — a reluctance she has also signaled to allies like Partnership for New York City President and CEO Kathy Wylde.

“It’s premature to even talk about it,” Wylde said. “She said that to me. We have a mayor and she said it’s premature to even discuss it.”