AG James criticizes Cuomo in Democratic convention address

Attorney General Letitia James said Thursday she will not be bullied by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, whom she said is now "claiming the mantle of victim and disgracefully attacking anyone in his path," following his ouster.

James delivered her strongest personal pushback against Cuomo and his attorney who have sought to discredit her investigation last year, which accused him of sexually harassing multiple women and helped advance an impeachment proceeding that triggered his resignation in August. The impeachment inquiry also focused on Cuomo’s nursing home policies amid the pandemic and his lucrative book deal.

James went on the offensive against Cuomo — while not saying his name aloud — at the Democratic state convention, shortly after delegates nominated her for a second term.

"It has become clear that the former governor will never accept any version of those events other than his own," James told Democrats. "And to achieve that, his is now claiming the mantle of victim and disgracefully attacking anyone in his path, pushing others down to prop himself up. I will not bow. I will not break. I will not be bullied."

The line generated some applause at an event where no one uttered the former governor’s name at the speaker’s podium.

"Tish James is a serial liar," responded Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi, listing the former governor's accusations against James as stated in repeated news conferences held by Cuomo's lawyers.

"The fact is she ignored clear evidence of blackmail, perjury, inconsistent testimony and witness tampering, misused her office as a springboard for her own botched bid for governor and falsely accused the former governor violating the law only to have five separate district attorneys reject her claims," Azzopardi said, referring to the criminal cases brought against Cuomo that had been dropped.

At the Democratic convention, James said the women who accused Cuomo — some former and current Cuomo staffers — had the courage to stand up to the "most powerful man in the state" and the evidence of harassment was "clear and overwhelming."

"I will not be bullied by him (Andrew Cuomo) or Donald Trump," James said, referring to her ongoing probe into Trump’s taxes, generating more applause from the delegates.

Trump also has accused her of bias in pursuing cases against them to benefit her political career.

With Michael Gormley