Latest news with #CityComptroller
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
New York City's Democratic mayoral candidates slam Andrew Cuomo in first debate
The Democrats who want to be New York City's next mayor squared off Wednesday in their first debate. Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo's position at the top of the polls going into the event made him the favorite punching bag of the other candidates, but he came determined to settle some scores after months of attacks from his opponents. Candidates bring up nursing home deaths, sexual harassment charges in debate Some of Cuomo's sharpest exchanges involved Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who is second in the polls. "Donald Trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter. He's been in government 27 minutes. He passed three bills, that's all he's done. He has no experience with Washington, no experience with New York City. He would be Trump's delight," Cuomo said. "Look, it's true that I don't have experience with corrupt Trump billionaires who are funding my campaign. I don't have experience with party politics and insider consultants. I do have experience, however, with winning $450 million in debt relief for thousand of working class taxi drivers," Mamdani said. The frustration the other Democrats have in running against Cuomo was on full display. "With all the corruption that's in Washington, we can't have corruption here in New York City, as well. It's not only that Andrew Cuomo lied to Congress, which is perjury, he also lied to the grieving families whose loved ones he sent into those nursing homes to protect his $5 million book deal," City Comptroller Brad Lander said. Cuomo's resignation over sexual harassment charges also came up repeatedly. "The people who don't feel safe are young women, mothers and grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo. That's the greatest threat to public safety," former assemblymember Michael Blake said in response to a question about subway safety. Cuomo was given an opportunity to response to Blake's sexual harassment allegation. "People who are watching at home have to be incredibly frustrated. They defunded the police. They reduced the number of police," he said. "Every woman watching tonight – he was just given a chance to actually address the clear claims that were stated and ignored it," Blake said. The candidates were also given a chance to talk about their biggest regret in politics. "One of my regrets is having trusted the leaders within our own party, leaders like Andrew Cuomo," Mamdani said. Cuomo fired back when asked about his regret. "That we've gotten to a point where rhetoric has no connection with reality, where a person who has served in government for several years only passed three bills," he said. New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams slammed his response. "No regrets when it comes to slow walking PPE and vaccinations in the season of COVID to Black and Brown communities? Really, no regrets? No regrets?" she said. Israel, Knicks, rent discussed in mayoral debate The candidates were also asked which country they would visit first after being elected mayor. Adams said the Holy Land, and Cuomo, Whitney Tilson and former city comptroller Scott Stringer all said Israel. "I would stay in New York City. My plans are to address New Yorkers across the five boroughs and focus on that," said Mamdani, who has come under fire for his pro-Palestinian stance. "I believe that you need not travel to Israel to stand up for Jewish New Yorkers." All the candidates agreed to limit helicopter traffic, and most think the New York Knicks made a mistake firing head coach Tom Thibodeau. Sen. Zellnor Myrie pays the lowest rent of all nine candidates – $1,300. Cuomo pays the most at $7,800, and Adams has paid off the mortgage on her home.
CBS News
12-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Mayor Brandon Johnson releases video of gift room, new rules for reporting gifts at City Hall
Mayor Brandon Johnson's office on Wednesday released video of the room at City Hall where gifts his office receives are stored, following an inspector general's investigation into his office's handling of those gifts. Last week, a report from Inspector General Deborah Witzburg's office said the mayor's office had improperly denied investigators access to the gift room, refused to hand over a log of gifts as required by the city's ethics rules until investigators filed a Freedom of Information Act Request, and had accepted some gifts without properly reporting them. In response to the report, the mayor's office on Wednesday released a short video showing the gifts stored inside the gift room, and announced new guidelines for reporting the gifts the city has received. Every gift received by the mayor's office now must be logged within 10 days, and reported to the Chicago Board of Ethics and the City Comptroller. Each gift logged must be categorized by date, description, the donor's name, and the location where it's stored. The gift log is also posted on the city's website. Perishable food items may be placed in a publicly accessible area for consumption by city staff members and guests at City Hall. If any other gifts are put on display rather than placed in the gift room, the city's logbook must indicate where it is being displayed. The city's logbook of gifts must be updated quarterly, and the city will post a quarterly video recording of the gift room on the 5th floor of City Hall. The mayor's office also said some gifts received by the city might be better suited for use by its sister agencies or Chicago nonprofits, and can be donated to them if appropriate. For example, gifts of books might be donated to the Chicago Public Library, and gifts of clothing might be donated to homeless shelters or other nonprofits. Any gifts donated to a sister agency or nonprofit must be logged in the logbook. Gifts currently being stored in the gift room include designer cufflinks, a Chicago Teachers Union strike poster from the 2019 teachers' strike, a custom Chicago Cubs jacket and two custom Cubs jerseys, a 2023 U.S. National Soccer Team jersey, a personalized Mont Blanc pen, a Superman doll, a non-functional pen from the inventory of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, several designer handbags and purses, a handmade quilt, a bag of Girl Scout cookies, and more.
