Where’s Andrew? As Cuomo Makes Waves With Legal Maneuvers, He Seems To Be in an Undisclosed Location

Mr. Cuomo’s whereabouts has taken on an aspect of the children’s book “Where’s Waldo?”

Menachem Wecker for The New York Sun
Andrew Cuomo by Menachem Wecker for The New York Sun Menachem Wecker for The New York Sun

Even as Governor Cuomo focuses on clearing his name by filing lawsuits against New York’s attorney general and others, there has been almost no public accounting of  what’s next for his career — or even about where he is — as reports swirl about a possible bid for office.

Mr. Cuomo on Friday filed complaints against Attorney General Letitia James and two attorneys, Joon Kim and Anne Clarke, who are alleged to have engaged in perjury and witness tampering.

Ms. James, for one, has so far been quiet on the matter, choosing instead to focus her efforts on winning re-election as New York’s attorney general.

The legal maneuver marks an unusually public move of late for the former governor, who has been out of sight but not out of mind over the past six months.

Most of the Cuomo family has been keeping a low profile; Chris Cuomo, say, has been out of the spotlight since his “indefinite suspension” from CNN following sexual harassment allegations.

Since Andrew Cuomo’s departure from the executive mansion in 2021, reports have said he’s been living somewhere in the Hudson Valley.

The governor had resided in Mount Kisco in Westchester County, but sold his home in May 2019. Sources have said there have been sightings of Mr. Cuomo on Long Island, but these reports have not been substantiated. 

Others have speculated that Mr. Cuomo may be staying at one of his brother’s properties in Manhattan, the Hamptons, or in Martha’s Vineyard.

It is also possible that the governor has taken up residence in his sister’s home in Purchase, New York, where she lives with her husband Kenneth Cole.

Mr. Cuomo’s whereabouts has taken on an aspect of the children’s book “Where’s Waldo?”

What all of these possibilities have in common is that they have not been confirmed. Mr. Cuomo has been conspicuously absent from public life in a state that he dominated for 10 years.

In a rare public appearance, Mr. Cuomo recently was spotted in Manhattan having  dinner with Mayor Adams, and the two reportedly discussed governing in a time of crisis. 

“We talked about governance, not politics, and he shared some much-needed advice on what his belief is the best way to get out of this crisis we’re facing,” Mr. Adams said in an appearance on WCBS Newsradio 880.

The last previous public sighting of the elusive governor was on his Instagram page in September, where he published photos of a fishing outing with his dog.

Trivialities aside, the whereabouts of the governor remains of interest to the people of New York if for no other reason than the 2022 elections.

So far, Mr. Cuomo has been mum about potential bids for office, though there are good reasons to believe that we have not seen the last of him on the political scene.

For one, his campaign fund is bleeding money, dropping to about $16 million from $18 million in recent months. Although $2 million is certainly a consequential sum to spend, presumably on legal costs, he retains a formidable war chest for a potential bid for public office.

Another possible asset in such an effort could be Rich Azzopardi, one of Mr. Cuomo’s senior advisors. He recently founded Bulldog Strategies, which is calling itself “a tenacious crisis communications and public relations shop.” He promises strong relationships with the Albany, New York City, and Washington press corps. 

Mr. Azzopardi’s business appears to be squarely targeted toward public figures who are experiencing public relations crises. Given the company’s currently undeveloped customer facing site, it seems likely it is doing most of its business in person.

One reason Mr. Cuomo’s current residency could be important is a potential bid for the House of Representatives. Newly bluish districts in either Long Island or Westchester could be landing spots for a candidacy.  

Mr. Cuomo could also launch a bid against Senator Schumer, who’s polling  numbers have sagged alongside President Biden’s in recent months.

The one place where Mr. Cuomo remains firmly in the public eye is Twitter, where he and a small army of loyal followers rail against Ms. James.

“The Attorney General is a serial liar whose touted 11 cases have now been reviewed by Democratic and Republican district attorneys across the state and have resulted in zero cases being brought,” Mr. Cuomo, in a tweet, quoted Mr. Azzopardi as saying.

The Cuomo adviser repeated a similar sentiment in a communication with the Sun: “We’re laser-focused on getting the truth out about the attorney general’s prosecutorial misconduct,” Mr. Azzopardi said. “The future is the future.”

It is safe to say that the no. 1 priority on Mr. Cuomo’s list is clearing his name, and another is discrediting Ms. James. 

Clearly, Mr. Cuomo’s plans for the future are being held close to his chest. Given his ongoing crusade against Ms. James, it also seems clear he’s not yet ready to retire.


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