As onslaughts of sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein have racked up over the past few weeks, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York came under fire for failing to return the entirety of campaign contributions he received from Weinstein and his company.
However, on Thursday, October 12th, Gov. Cuomo changed his tune. While he had previously stated that he would be donating only a portion of Weinstein’s previous contributions to his campaign- which were over $110,000 in total- to an unnamed women’s advocacy group, he has now shifted his stance. He will be donating the entirety of his past campaign contributions.
The decision to alter his intent came after multiple politicians and media outlets began lobbing attacks at Cuomo for his hesitancy to give back the entirety of Weinstein’s contributions.
Republican State Committee spokeswoman, Jessica Proud, harped on the “hypocrisy” of Gov. Cuomo’s actions, stating: “Democrats across the country have had the sense to give the money back, but not Gov. Cuomo. What kind of message does it send to women and victims that despite everything we know about the abuse Harvey Weinstein inflicted on them, he still won’t let go of his $60,000? His actions speak volumes.”
The executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, Basil A. Smikle Jr., was quick to issue a statement defending the actions of Cuomo, and accusing Republicans of turning a non-political issue into a political one. However, Republicans were not the only ones speaking out against Gov. Cuomo’s decision; Democrats also took issue with the politician’s hesitancy to relinquish Weinstein’s contributions.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a fellow Democrat, had a message for those politicians still clinging to funds from Weinstein, stating on Thursday: “My message to everyone who has current accounts with money from Harvey Weinstein is, ‘Give that money back, Give it to charity. Get the hell away from it.”
Although it took backlash from both sides for Gov. Cuomo to succumb to his critic’s suggestions, it is important to note that Cuomo was quick to condemn the actions of the American film producer after the New York Times and the New Yorker published their damning exposés of Weinstein two weeks back.
Despite Cuomo’s acquiescence to those clamoring for his return of Weinstein’s campaign contributions, some remain wary of his decision. Dalton Houde ’18 states: “His sudden reversal of judgment seems to be damage control. He is trying to fix his political image based off of the critiques others are making. That being said, I am still glad that he is donating the funds.”