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NEW YORK (77WABC) – According to the New York Times and several other media outlets, Governor Andrew Cuomo threatened to destroy Queens Assemblyman Ron T. Kim in a ten minute phone call over Kim’s criticism of Cuomo’s handling of the nursing home Covid-19 crisis.
Describing an alleged exchange with the governor that has not been previously reported, Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim told CNN that he received a call on his cell phone from the governor last week as he was bathing his children at home.
“Gov. Cuomo called me directly on Thursday to threaten my career if I did not cover up for Melissa [DeRosa] and what she said. He tried to pressure me to issue a statement, and it was a very traumatizing experience,” Kim said. Cuomo proceeded to tell the assemblyman that “we’re in this business together and we don’t cross certain lines and he said I hadn’t seen his wrath and that he can destroy me,” according to Kim.
Kim said of his phone call with Cuomo, “No man has ever spoken to me like that in my entire life.” Kim added, “At some point he tried to humiliate me, asking: ‘Are you a lawyer? I didn’t think so. You’re not a lawyer.’ It almost felt like in retrospect he was trying to bait me and anger me and say something inappropriate. I’m glad I didn’t.”
Kim wife said she heard Cuomo say, “Who do you think you are?” as well as the words, “my wrath,” and that immediately after the phone call, her husband told her: “The governor threatened to destroy my life.”
Kim said he has since hired a lawyer telling reporters that he believed the governor had asked him to lie about what had happened in last week’s virtual call. He said he has informed the governor’s office that any outreach should be made through his counsel.
During his daily press conference Cuomo did accuse the Assemblyman of possibly being guilty of a pay for play scheme involving nail salons in Queens.
Kim said on Wednesday that he “100%” stood by his allegation that Cuomo had threatened to destroy him. He said he did not recall Cuomo making a specific reference to Queens, but that Cuomo had asked him last week on the phone, “Mr. Kim, are you an honorable man?” before proceeding to suggest that the honorable thing for Kim to do would be to put out a statement of support.
“There’s no undoing here. They have blood on their hands,” Kim said. Kim also issued the below statement via Twitter.
