Can Biden stay on the sidelines of the Andrew Cuomo saga?

President Biden has so far made only a passing comment on the crises that have plagued Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and he seems to be hoping to avoid being dragged away any further.

But as a longtime friend of the governor of New York, Mr Biden is one of the few people in the country with the potential to prevent a prolonged standoff between an increasingly isolated Mr Cuomo and the rest of the country. Democratic Party. It has forced Biden to stay firmly on the sidelines as the governor faces a shootout with calls to resign.

Mr Cuomo faces a spiraling series of allegations and investigations involving sexual harassment, a toxic workplace, the manipulation of the death toll in New York City nursing homes and perceived loyalty tests by the the governor’s vaccine czar.

Mr Biden and Mr Cuomo did not speak out, relatives of the two men said. When asked on Sunday night whether Mr Cuomo should step down, Mr Biden replied, “I think the investigation is ongoing and we should see what it brings us.”

The governor and his allies have urged people to wait for the results of investigations to buy time, in the hope of stabilizing support for Mr. Cuomo. And Mr. Biden seems inclined to give him that time – at least for now.

But an extended period of intraparty sparring over Mr. Cuomo’s future could be problematic for Mr. Biden. It threatens to distract attention from his early initiatives, including mass vaccination efforts and his party’s imperative to sell to the public the nearly $ 2 trillion stimulus package Mr Biden enacted this week. last.

The New York Times and Washington Post reported over the weekend that Larry Schwartz, the governor’s vaccine czar and longtime lieutenant, attempted to gauge the county leaders’ loyalty to Mr. Cuomo during the phone calls about vaccine distribution – particularly drawing the attention of the White House on Mondays.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said the reports were “concerning” and Mr. Schwartz’s calls were “reported inappropriate behavior.”

The appeals prompted an executive to file a preliminary complaint with the public integrity office of the state attorney general’s office. Mr Schwartz denied discussing vaccines in a political context.

Ms Psaki insisted that there were “controls” in the system to prevent the distribution of the vaccine on the basis of favoritism.

On Tuesday, the White House will hold its weekly coronavirus appeal with the National Association of Governors, which Mr. Cuomo typically leads as chairman of the group. “I would expect to participate in the call tomorrow; we’ll leave that to him, ”Ms. Psaki said.

The two New York senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, called on Cuomo to step down last Friday, along with most of the state’s Congressional Democratic delegation. A factor in the timing for members of Congress who made their announcements in quick succession was the desire not to overshadow Mr Biden’s signing of the pandemic relief package, according to those involved in the discussions.

Mr. Cuomo was surprised by the statement of Ms. Gillibrand and Mr. Schumer; he had believed earlier today that they would not join the appeals against him, according to a person familiar with his thinking.

Still, the governor categorically refused to consider resigning while questioning the motives of women who accused him of sexual harassment, citing “cancel culture,” a favorite Republican talking point, as he digged on Friday. .

“There is a job to be done, and New Yorkers elected the governor to do it,” Richard Azzopardi, senior advisor to Mr. Cuomo, said Monday. “He remains focused on vaccine delivery and a state budget that is due in two weeks, and we are grateful for the help the White House has provided on both fronts.”

During the presidential campaign, Mr. Biden managed to avoid getting drawn into controversies that did not directly concern him. But the bullying behavior Mr. Cuomo is accused of is contrary to the standard Mr. Biden has set for his own White House.

There are currently two investigations into the allegations of sexual harassment against Mr. Cuomo, one overseen by the state attorney general’s office and the other by the state assembly.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Cuomo have taken different avenues when accused of improper conduct. When Mr Biden in 2020 was accused of sexual assault by a woman who had worked in his Senate office decades earlier, he denied his allegation but did not dispute his motives. Mr Cuomo has suggested on the defensive that some of his accusers may have malicious motives.

A senior administration official said Mr. Biden’s desire to stay away was driven in part by his personal relationship with Mr. Cuomo and in part by pragmatism.

If he were to ultimately be drawn into the matter, Mr Biden’s options range from encouraging Mr Cuomo to resign to asking him not to run again in 2022, as the governor has indicated he is planning. always do.

“Biden has a long friendship with Cuomo, and I think he and [Nancy] Pelosi and others are clearly hoping that the situation will resolve itself through this investigative process, and they are giving it as much of a leash, but the sustainability of this situation over time is highly questionable, ”said David Axelrod, former senior advisor. from President Barack. Obama.

While it would be an extraordinary decision for Mr. Biden to intervene, there is precedent for a Democratic president to wade through a messy situation involving a New York governor from his own party. In 2009, Mr. Obama sent a message through intermediaries to the government of the day. David Paterson that he wanted him not to run for another term the following year.

Mr. Paterson, mired in constant controversy, had become an unwanted distraction for the Obama administration; he was quick to announce that he would not be running again, paving the way for Mr. Cuomo to run in 2010.

But there was a significant difference between Mr Paterson and Mr Cuomo: Mr Paterson’s poll numbers were dismal, at 21% approval in June 2009, and threatened the Democrats’ grip on a seat for which a Republican , George Pataki, had occupied. three terms, until 2006.

Mr. Cuomo enjoys much stronger support from his constituents. A new Siena College poll on Monday showed that only 35% of New York voters want Mr Cuomo to step down immediately (and only 25% of Democrats), although the investigation was conducted mostly before the wave of congressional demands. for him to resign.

Yet support for Mr Cuomo has eroded significantly from the peaks of his coronavirus press briefings in the spring of 2020 – when he got 71% approval – and even from February, when his approval among all voters was 56% in a Siena College poll. .

Its current approval rate, 43 percent, is lower than its disapproval rate, 45 percent. Among Democrats, however, his support remains high, at 59%, according to the survey, and 61% among black voters.

Already, a majority of state lawmakers – and over 40% of Democratic lawmakers in Albany – have called for Mr. Cuomo’s resignation. The State Assembly has launched an impeachment inquiry, and beyond Mr. Biden, the politician with the most control over Mr. Cuomo’s fate is Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, who will determine if and when to continue.

Impeaching and removing a governor is serious business, and Mr. Cuomo can hope it’s too big a leap, even for those who signed a letter asking for his resignation.

“Calling on lawmakers to bluff on an impeachment vote, he recognizes that voting for impeachment is a heavy vote for many to take,” said Bakari Sellers, a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, who voted to remove the government of the day. Mark Sanford in 2009. (Mr. Sanford was ultimately censored.)

“The state is on the verge of overflowing with cash from Covid,” Sellers said. “Better days ahead for voters. Hang in there until you become everyone’s favorite bank. “

Some members of Congress and their aides were put off by a statement former high-ranking member of the delegation, Representative Nita Lowey, of Westchester, made in defense of Mr Cuomo, according to a person familiar with the matter. Members felt Ms Lowey had been inappropriately “instrumentalised” as a shield for Mr Cuomo, the person said, adding that while it was not the rushing event for the other members to speak out on Friday last, it had left an impression. .

A member of the Cuomo family had contacted Ms Lowey before her statement, according to another person familiar with the events.

“This is ridiculous,” Mrs. Lowey. “I don’t get used to things like that.” She said she had known the Cuomos for decades because they were neighbors in Queens.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Cuomo have been relatively close politically in recent years. In 2015, as Mr. Biden was considering a late run for president, they met in New York; although Mr. Cuomo officially supported Hillary Clinton at the time, he did not discourage Mr. Biden from a White House race.

In 2018, when Mr. Cuomo faced a main challenge from Cynthia Nixon, the actress and activist, Mr. Biden offered Mr. Cuomo’s wholehearted endorsement at the New York Democratic Party convention. .

Mr. Biden’s fondness for Mr. Cuomo doesn’t necessarily extend to the staff level. The governor’s bitter political operation has stung many in his path over the years.

Mr Biden called on Mr Cuomo for a prime-time speech on the first night of the Democratic convention last year at the height of the governor’s popularity. The pre-recorded address, which only mentioned Mr. Biden by name towards the end, was imposed on convention organizers with little scope for revision, according to those involved in the process; they said Cuomo’s team were among the hardest to work with planning the entire four-day event.

Mr. Cuomo’s political operation also submitted a production bill that far exceeded other similar convention videos; convention officials refused to pay the full amount.