Cuomo ‘needs to be held accountable’ for nursing home directive: New York state assemblyman
New York State Assemblyman Mike Lawler is among lawmakers calling for an investigation into nursing home coronavirus deaths in the state.
Embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D., is under fire yet again, this time over accusations of a blatant lack of transparency with the press and only calling on friendly reporters while eluding tough questions.
The Times Union, a widely respected newspaper based in New York’s capital city of Albany, reported Thursday that local reporters are sick of the governor’s tactics.
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"The Legislative Correspondents Association (LCA), made up of dozens of reporters and editors from various news outlets who cover the state Capitol in Albany, sent a letter Monday requesting Cuomo allow reporters to ask at least one follow-up question; diversify which reporters are selected for questions by taking into account race, ethnicity, gender and age; and alert news outlets at least two hours in advance of his public appearances," Times Union reporter Amanda Fries wrote.
CNN’s Chris Cuomo was criticized for a series of lighthearted interviews with his older brother.
Last year, Cuomo participated in a series of widely mocked appearances on his little brother’s CNN program at the height of New York’s nursing home scandal. "Cuomo Prime Time" namesake Chris Cuomo regularly joked around with the governor instead of asking tough questions and once even admitted he couldn’t be objective when covering his brother.
The troubled governor has also managed to dodge tough questions on a variety of other mainstream television programs, while largely ignoring local reporters in Albany. But the Legislative Correspondents Association is now pressuring the Democratic governor to change his tactics.
"The Albany press corps has not had its usual opportunity to closely question Gov. Cuomo since he moved from in-person to Zoom press conferences in December," LCA member Kyle Hughes told Fox News.
A New York Times reporter tweeted the entire letter:
"We trust that you, as a supporter of the free press, will recognize that our requests are reasonable and acknowledge our concerns as the primary organization of reporters responsible for transmitting information on this historic pandemic to the public," the letter to the governor said.
The Times Union scribe noted that Cuomo’s briefings have been conducted via Zoom because of the coronavirus pandemic, allowing the governor to hand pick who gets to grill him on hot-button issues.
"But who gets picked to ask a question and their inability to ask follow-up questions for clarity have plagued Albany reporters for months, who have taken to social media channels to highlight the inequities," Fries wrote. "Some reporters described that despite taking part in dozens of the governor's briefings, and requesting to ask a question, they are passed over for reporters who Cuomo and his executive team appear to favor."
Cuomo has dismissed the notion that he selects who gets to question him.
"What are you suggesting — that they like you, and they picked you out of a group? I have no idea," he recently said when pressed on the issue, according to Fries.
The letter requested a "formal change" with the way the press briefings are conducted.
"In the letter, LCA reporters recommended Cuomo adopt a similar approach to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s virtual press conferences, where a variety of reporters are called on and news outlets are guaranteed one question per week," Fries wrote, adding that Cuomo’s spokesperson "Acknowledged receipt of the LCA's letter and said officials are discussing how to respond to the concerns."
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Cuomo’s office told the Times Union that briefings feature reporters in "10 different regional press corps in addition to the LCA and national media, many of which did not have access in the first nine months of this pandemic. Additionally, other LCA members were not given access when the Capitol was closed after a legislative COVID outbreak and some organizations made the decision to keep their reporters out of the building."
Cuomo’s office declined to explain to the Times Union how it determines which reporters are called on.
"We strive to hit a balance that is diverse in every way," Cuomo’s spokesperson told the paper. "It's not an ideal system, but the circumstances of the pandemic call for it and sometimes the balance we seek isn't met, but we always strive for it."
Cuomo’s spokesperson then tweeted an official response, which mirrored comments provided to the Times Union.
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