Andrew Cuomo tries another run for mayor – this time as an independent
Andrew Cuomo tries another run for mayor – this time as an independent
Andrew Cuomo. Photo / Getty Images
Former New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said on Monday that he is running for New York mayor as an independent, weeks after he was soundly defeated in the Democratic primary.
In a video circulated on social media, Cuomo, 67, thanked his supporters for voting for him and apologised for letting them down. But he went on to say that only 13% of New Yorkers voted in the June primary and that he was 'in it to win it' in November.
He described Zohran Mamdani, the New York State Assembly member who won the Democratic primary, as having 'slick slogans and no real solutions'.
He repeated the argument he made during the primary that he was the candidate with the experience to implement the affordability agenda that Mamdani was promoting.
Just weeks ago, Cuomo lost by 12 percentage points to Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist who received more votes in a Democratic primary than any other candidate in the city's history. The upset stunned the Democratic establishment and seemed to herald the end of the Cuomo political dynasty. Before Cuomo was governor, his father, Mario Cuomo, held the position for 12 years.
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NZ Herald
17 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Trump's lawyer in hush money trial is a senior Justice Department official and interviewed Ghislaine Maxwell
After weeks of furore about whether the Justice Department would release much of its file on Epstein – and amid speculation about whether the file had information about Trump and others – Blanche travelled to Florida to interview Epstein's longtime partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. A billboard in Times Square calls for the release of the Epstein files on July 23 in New York City. Photo / Getty Images Prosecutors argued at Maxwell's 2021 trial that she was Epstein's recruiter and enabler for a decade beginning in 1994, showing an interest in teenagers and luring them to his homes in Palm Beach, Florida; New York; New Mexico; and elsewhere ostensibly for jobs as personal masseuses. She was also charged with perjury for allegedly lying during a sworn deposition but did not face a trial on those charges after she was convicted of more serious crimes. Trump said this week that his friendship with Epstein ended years ago after, he said, Epstein hired young female spa workers from his club at Mar-a-Lago. Maxwell spent nine hours over two days last week answering every question posed by Blanche, according to Maxwell's lawyer, David Oscar Markus. The details of the interview have not been released, and Democrats said they feared it was the kind of conflict, they had been concerned about when Blanche was nominated. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (Democrat-New York) said last week in a floor speech that 'Trump is sending his personal lawyer, Todd Blanche, to try and execute a corrupt cover-up, potentially offering leniency to a woman who also abused the victims'. Schumer said this and other actions by Justice officials represent a conflict but he did not provide evidence of an alleged cover-up. The relationship between Trump and Blanche has been a financially significant one. Blanche's law firm was paid US$9.2 million ($15.6m) by Save America, a pro-Trump political action committee, between April 2023 and December 2024, for work on cases that included the trial about payment of alleged hush money to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, according to federal election records. Trump was found guilty in the hush money case, which has been appealed and is being handled by other lawyers. Why Donald Trump's lawyer is under scrutiny in Jeffrey Epstein inquiry. Photo / Getty Images Blanche, 50, is an unlikely player in the unfolding drama. A former federal prosecutor in New York, he handled violent crimes and led the office's White Plains division in Westchester County. Blanche was well-liked by colleagues and earned a reputation for diligence, according to lawyers familiar with his work. He then worked at a law firm where his clients included Trump ally Paul Manafort. Blanche won the dismissal of mortgage fraud charges against Manafort in a New York case in 2019 on the grounds that the indictment too closely mirrored a federal case against him and amounted to double jeopardy. The case helped bring Blanche to Trump's attention at a time when he was preparing to run for re-election. Trump later pardoned Manafort in a pair of federal cases that included the federal mortgage fraud charges. The Justice Department did not respond directly to questions from the Washington Post about whether Blanche consulted a government ethics official regarding an interview with Maxwell. Instead, the department sent a written statement from spokesman Gates McGavick that said, in full: 'Any suggestion that Todd Blanche has acted unethically while serving as Deputy Attorney General is baseless and defamatory. This gossip column relies on innuendo and the word of an agenda-driven political hack to push a false narrative. This is not a serious article.' Markus said in a statement that it was appropriate for the Justice Department to send a high-level official such as Blanche to address such an important matter and that Blanche 'has conducted himself with complete professionalism throughout this process'. 'It's truly disheartening how quick people are to assume the worst without any basis in fact,' Markus added. 'More akin to a political player' Some of Blanche's ex-colleagues are surprised by what they see as his transformation from the independent litigator they knew to one they say seems willing to prioritise his loyalty to Trump. Mimi Rocah, who previously co-led the White Plains division in the US Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York with Blanche, said that it is 'completely inappropriate and wrong' for him to interview Maxwell – both because of his relationship to Trump and because it is a job that should be reserved for prosecutors on the case, not a Justice official at the highest level. Mimi Rocah (centre) criticised Blanche's interview with Maxwell as 'completely inappropriate', citing his Trump ties and the breach of prosecutorial protocol. Photo / Getty Images If a top Washington official had injected himself into a case Blanche handled as a prosecutor, he would have gone 'running to Main Justice', Rocah said, referring to the department's headquarters in Washington that oversees US Attorneys' offices and other units. 'That just shows how completely far gone he is as an actual prosecutor,' Rocah said. 'He's really more akin to a political player at this point.' In a podcast interview last year hosted by Markus, Blanche recounted receiving a phone call from Trump when he was skiing with his family in Colorado on Super Bowl Sunday in February 2023. At this time before Trump had been indicted, the former President talked with Blanche about representing him in what would become the hush money trial and possibly other cases. A few weeks later, Blanche said, he went to dinner with Trump to discuss his potential hiring. 'And we clicked,' Blanche said. 'He's an enigma, he's an interesting guy, everybody in this country, most people in the world, frankly, have an opinion about him. 'And some may be right, some may be wrong, but he's a really interesting man. And not only because of his past as President of the US, but just the life that he's led.' Around that time, he left the New York firm and started Blanche Law, enlisting as a partner Emil Bove, a former Southern District colleague who later joined the Justice Department at the start of Trump's second term and was nominated for a federal appeals judgeship. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and 900 former Justice Department lawyers have questioned Bove's fitness to serve. That's based on his handling of a corruption indictment against New York Mayor Eric Adams, allegations that he instructed underlings to ignore judicial orders, and his role in firing or reassigning career Justice Department employees in perceived politically driven punishments. In February, Blanche – not yet confirmed by the Senate – was in attendance as Bove stood in court to defend his decision to dismiss the Adams case, arguing that the mayor needed to be unburdened so he could help the Trump Administration carry out its immigration enforcement and public safety agenda. Blanche was also there when Bove, who was also a defence lawyer for Trump, faced tough questions at his confirmation hearing last month. Bove was confirmed by the Senate 50-49 on Wednesday. Blanche, who had been a registered Democrat as recently as 2022, switched his registration to Republican in January 2024 and said his voting record residence was Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a community near Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, according to voter records. He spent much of 2024 as a key legal adviser to Trump – spending long hours in Palm Beach with Trump and attending court appearances and meetings up and down the East Coast. The lawyer was the face of Trump's legal team during a six-week trial in New York Supreme Court, where a jury heard evidence that the former President concealed the nature of a US$130,000 payment to Daniels in the final stretch of the 2016 election to keep her quiet about an alleged affair. Blanche recalled in the podcast interview with Markus how Trump 'heard 'guilty' 34 times' in the hush money trial and then spoke to the press. 'For somebody who had just gone through what he went through, I was like, I mean, it sounds maybe a little bit obnoxious to say, but I was like, really, really proud of him on that day.' Throughout the trial, Trump turned the hallway into a campaign stop for news cameras. A stone-faced Blanche stood at his side as the then-candidate launched into meandering tirades about what he called a Democratic conspiracy to use the justice system to keep him from retaking the White House. Todd Blanche's Epstein case role has sparked conflict of interest concerns. Photo / Getty Images Aggressive delay efforts by Blanche and other lawyers helped stall proceedings in a pair of serious federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith over Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and refusing to return them, and for allegedly interfering in the 2020 election. Both matters were unresolved as the 2024 election neared. The classified records case in Florida was dismissed by Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon on grounds that experts widely believed were flawed and reversible. Smith's team was appealing that decision, but after Trump's victory, they moved to withdraw those cases before Trump took office. Blanche and the defence team also secured so many sentencing delays in the hush money case that the proceeding did not take place until 10 days before Trump's inauguration. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan acknowledged having very limited options. Trump was sentenced to unconditional discharge, which amounted to no punishment. 'I will follow the law' Trump, known for frequently firing lawyers when they fall out of favour with him, has showered Blanche with praise for his work on the cases. The closeness between Trump and Blanche continued during the election and culminated in Trump's announcement that he would nominate his lawyer to serve as deputy attorney-general. In his hearing, Blanche sounded fully in sync with Trump's messaging as he said that the President had been a victim of 'partisan prosecutors' but that his 'faith in this country returned in full force on November 5 when the American people rejected this gross abuse of our justice system'. There is a long history of former Trump associates who have been ousted by the President over questions of loyalty. Attorney-General Jeff Sessions recused himself from being involved in the investigation of whether there was Russian interference in the 2016 election, sparking Trump's ire. At another point, Trump said it was 'disgraceful' that Sessions had asked an inspector general to investigate a campaign-related matter, saying, 'Why not use Justice Department lawyers?' Sessions resigned in 2018 at Trump's request. So when Trump nominated Blanche to the No 2 job at Justice, Democrats repeatedly asked during the nomination hearing whether he would push back against Trump and show the independence that is required of Justice officials. Senator Blumenthal voiced concern Blanche might face illegal or immoral requests from Trump and must be ready to say no. Photo / Getty Images Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) said during the hearing that he was 'convinced' that Blanche was committed to impartial enforcement. Nonetheless, Blumenthal expressed concern that, 'if history is any guide, that the President will ask you to do things that are illegal or immoral. I need to be sure that you're willing to say no' to Trump. 'Senator, I respectfully very much reject that premise,' Blanche responded. 'I don't think that President Trump is going to ask me to do anything illegal or immoral and so I don't -' 'But if he does, you would say no?' Blumenthal asked. 'I will follow the law Senator, period - period … And by the way, I've spent thousands, certainly hundreds, probably thousands of hours with President Trump over the past couple of years. So I don't just say that flippantly; I say that with experience and firsthand knowledge.' Experts say that ethics law can be a grey area subject to interpretation in each unique case. In the normal course of events, Blanche would have been advised about the standard of conduct for federal employees, which includes this provision: 'Whether particular circumstances create an appearance that the law or these standards have been violated shall be determined from the perspective of a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts.' Several months after Blanche joined the Justice Department, as the controversy over the Epstein files exploded, Blanche said on X that he was going to interview Maxwell. 'Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know?' Blanche wrote. At the direction of Attorney-General Pam Bondi, he said, he had contacted Maxwell's counsel, adding that 'No one is above the law - and no lead is off-limits'. As it happened, the lawyer representing Maxwell was Markus, the same person to whom Blanche had given the podcast interview in June 2024 about his relationship with Trump. Blanche and Markus came to an agreement, leading to the interviews with Maxwell – and to the questions from Democrats about whether Blanche had a conflict in conducting the private sessions. Blumenthal, who opposed Blanche's nomination, said he nonetheless expected the lawyer to follow ethical norms. He said he has been shocked by Blanche's decision to insert himself into the Maxwell interview, which the senator said was 'a breach'. 'I really expected him to be a serious lawyer,' Blumenthal said in an interview with the Washington Post. 'He had a reputation for being with a big firm and representing the client in difficult circumstances. I respect people who represent unpopular causes or individuals, that's what a lawyer does.' But Blumenthal said 'there's this stench' about Blanche interviewing Maxwell 'that is so powerful it is absolutely mind-boggling, and I frankly would never have expected it of him'. Norm Eisen said he'd never have approved Blanche's role due to impartiality concerns. Photo / Getty Images Norm Eisen, who was the White House special counsel for ethics in the Obama Administration, said in an interview that he would never have authorised that Blanche interview Maxwell because of rules that seek to prevent conflict of interest. 'This is the very definition of the situation where a reasonable person would question the impartiality of Blanche,' Eisen said. 'There is a certain amount of play in these rules, but that is why the public should be concerned … I don't know any government ethicist who worked for any administration of either party who would have authorised Blanche to participate in this.' Unless interview transcripts are released, it may be impossible to know whether and how much Blanche pursued questions about Trump's possible mention in the Epstein files. For his part, Blanche has insisted his loyalty is to the Justice Department. 'This Department of Justice does not shy away from uncomfortable truths, nor from responsibility to pursue justice wherever the facts may lead,' Blanche said in a July 22 statement on X.
NZ Herald
19 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Return of Biden, Harris snags Democrats' push to turn the page on last year's election loss
'The shadow of 2024 is long, and I think all perspectives in the mix believe we need something fresh,' said longtime Democratic consultant Donna Bojarsky. Many Democrats do not blame Harris for what went wrong in the last cycle, she said, 'But nobody's saying, let's go back to 2024'. Plenty of other Democrats are building their profiles and making moves to lead the party forward. Governors such as Andy Beshear of Kentucky and JB Pritzker of Illinois and members of Congress such as Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego are taking their pitches around the country in early jockeying for 2028. A little-known state lawmaker, Zohran Mamdani, has emerged as a prominent new voice for the left after winning an upset victory in the New York City mayoral primary. Biden's decision to run again in 2024 at age 81 has hung over Democrats even as he has kept a relatively low profile, appearing periodically in public settings. Books scrutinising the election have brought bursts of new attention to Biden's physical and mental state in office, with one casting the former President's choice to seek re-election as the Democratic Party's 'Original Sin'. Potential 2028 presidential candidates continue to face questions about Biden and whether Democrats were wrong to downplay his age. The 2028 hopefuls need to tackle those questions honestly or risk compromising their credibility, said Matt Bennett, co-founder of the centrist Democratic group Third Way. 'If you say anything other than the guy was not up to the task of running again, and our party made a mistake in not making that clear … voters are going to think you're lying,' he said. And 'no one needs to hear from Hunter Biden', Bennett added. 'Literally no one.' A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment on his post-presidency and other Democrats' desire to move on from their 2024 ticket. A representative for Harris did not respond to requests for comment. Biden has rejected claims he experienced mental decline in office: 'They are wrong,' Biden responded on The View this spring. 'There is nothing to sustain that.' After announcing yesterday that she would forgo a campaign for governor in her home state of California, Harris revealed on social media today that she is publishing a book - 107 Days - on September 23 that will give a 'behind-the-scenes look' at her experience 'leading the shortest presidential campaign in modern history'. Harris replaced Biden on the Democratic ticket after a disastrous debate against Trump in which Biden repeatedly appeared to lose his train of thought. Harris will also appear on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert today to give her first interview since the election. She plans to dive into the 2026 Midterm elections and travel the country to campaign on behalf of Democrats in tough races as she shapes a political organisation of her own, according to aides and confidants familiar with her plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss projects that are still in formation. Though some Democratic strategists and candidates are eager for Harris to help them in Midterms, there is more scepticism about her running for the White House again in 2028 - an option she has not ruled out. 'I think most Americans are grateful for the service and contributions of the last generation of officeholders,' said Cooper Teboe, a Silicon Valley-based Democratic strategist. 'But the core reason the Democratic Party is in the position it is in today is because no new figures, no new ideas, have been allowed to rise up and take hold.' Harris did well with the voters whom the party needs to turn out in 2026, when highly engaged supporters could play an outsize role, some strategists said, and she would be a formidable candidate in 2028 with high name recognition. However another White House run would also mean dealing with uncomfortable questions about 2024. Republicans said they were also happy for Harris to hit the trail. 'In fact, we'd offer to pay for her plane ticket to any swing district in the country,' said Mike Marinella, a spokesperson for House Republicans' campaign arm. Biden is set to speak at a closing gala for the National Bar Association's convention in Chicago, where, a spokesperson said, he will discuss 'the cause of justice in America' before the group of mostly black judges and lawyers. The former President has occasionally emerged to give interviews defending his pardons and his decision to run again. Former Biden aides argued the ex-President would not be a focal point for voters at election time and that it was important for the ex-president to push back publicly on certain attacks, such as Republicans' claims that he was not in control of clemency decisions because they were signed with an autopen. '[In] 2026 voters will be outraged that Republicans are raising the costs they promised to lower … not focused on honourable people,' said Andrew Bates, a former Biden spokesperson. Democratic strategist Steve Schale said he was concerned earlier in the year about Biden's appearances 'trying to relitigate his presidency'. Now he thinks Biden has pulled back: 'Him going and giving a speech at the bar association, I don't have a problem with that'. But other events have kept Biden in the news. Republicans, who control Congress, have been calling Biden aides to testify about their ex-boss's fitness for office. The Democratic National Committee is working on an election after-action report that has been criticised by some party insiders because it is not expected to delve into Biden's decision to drop out as he faced persistent concerns from voters about what they perceived as his cognitive decline. DNC Chairman Ken Martin has also drawn criticism for deciding that the after-action report would not examine whether Democrats could have been more successful if they had held an open process to determine Biden's successor as the nominee after he announced that he was abandoning his quest for the nomination in the summer of 2024. Martin said in an interview yesterday that he believed there was little that the party could learn from those two decisions - circumstances that were unique to the 2024 cycle and are unlikely to occur again. 'Do I have a time machine? No. So what good does it serve me or anyone of answering the question, should Joe Biden have stepped down? Can't change it,' Martin said. 'I'm not trying to protect anyone. I'm trying to save us spending a lot of time and energy on a question that really doesn't help me win elections.' But Martin sought to clear up what he said was a misperception that the after-action report will not look into Democrats' spending decisions and tactics - including how billions of dollars were spent by outside groups and why that effort was unsuccessful in helping Harris win. 'We have to look at everything. The campaign is on the table; the parties are on the table - everything,' Martin said. Schale, the Democratic strategist, said the resurfacing of 2024 drama is unavoidable and compared the moment to the aftermath of John Kerry's loss in 2004. 'Things were pretty rudderless for a while,' he said. Then Barack Obama emerged. 'I don't think there's a lot we can do to turn the page until we have a fight over who gets to turn the page,' he said. 'And that will be the 2028 primary fight.'
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Trump warns Canada trade deal at risk over Palestine recognition
France was the first to take the step last week. Days later, Trump announced a trade deal with the European Union, which includes France and several other countries that have recognised Palestinian statehood. Since his return to the White House, Trump has levied 25% tariffs on Canadian goods not covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada trade pact (USMCA). In July, he threatened to raise tariffs on Canada to 35% on August 1 because of unsubstantiated concerns over an 'invasion' of fentanyl from Canada. A White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said it is likely that USMCA-compliant goods would remain exempt but that Trump would make the final decision. Nearly 60% of US imports from Canada were USMCA-compliant in May, according to data from the US Commerce Department, up from 34% in January. Trump has separately imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminium, and autos. Trump threatened sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports as Canada joins G7 allies in recognising Palestine. Photo / Getty Images Canadian officials have for months travelled to the US to seek a deal that would lift the levies, but they have recently said it is likely that any agreement with the US will involve some level of tariffs. Carney said Wednesday that negotiations might drag on beyond August 1. Canada's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request early Thursday for comment on Trump's Truth Social post. Carney was elected leader of Canada's Liberal Party in March and led it to a comeback victory in April against a backdrop of rising anxiety over Trump, while running on an explicitly anti-Trump platform. Carney declared the traditional US-Canada relationship 'over' and pledged to fight back with targeted retaliatory tariffs. When Trump repeatedly mused about the US annexing Canada, Carney said his country was 'not for sale'. In recent months, Carney has tried to use flattery and firmness with Trump – to mixed results. Trump has called him 'a nice gentleman'. But in June, Trump abruptly halted trade talks with Canada over the country's digital services tax, calling it 'a direct and blatant attack' on the US and branding Canada as a 'difficult' partner. The Canadian Government later said it would rescind the tax. Days later, Trump threatened more tariffs. Now, geopolitics could further destabilise the talks. Canada is the third major US ally in a week, after France and Britain, to say it is prepared to change its decades-old stance on Palestinian statehood as outrage has grown over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Canada is the third Group of Seven nation to back Palestinian statehood, following France and Britain. Photo / Getty Images Local authorities say more than 60,000 people – including 18,500 children – have been killed in the Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Israel has restricted aid into the enclave, prompting the UN to warn about 'mounting evidence of famine and widespread starvation'. Trump acknowledged Monday that there is 'real starvation' in Gaza, breaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Monday that 'there is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza'. Yet on Tuesday, when asked about France's and Britain's endorsements of a Palestinian state, Trump said: 'You could make a case that you're rewarding Hamas if you do that. And I don't think they should be rewarded. So I'm not in that camp'. Canada's announcement was met with praise from Palestinian officials and harsh criticism in Israel. The Palestinian Authority's Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on X: 'This courageous and principled decision marks a significant step towards justice, peace, and the long-overdue realisation of the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination.' The Israeli Foreign Ministry said: 'The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages'.
