NYC mayor defends dinner with disgraced ex-governor Cuomo

(AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams pushed back Thursday against the suggestion there was anything wrong with his dinner this week with former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment last summer.

“I was clear that Governor Cuomo should have stepped down when he did, and I don’t step away from that position,” Adams said on CNN’s “New Day.”

He added, “But I am not going to leave any stones unturned in getting my city back under control to deal with violence, our economy, and how to navigate all of the lawmakers in this city and state.”

The New York Post reported that Adams and Cuomo shared a two-hour dinner Tuesday at a Manhattan restaurant, Osteria La Baia, where patrons greeted the former governor warmly before the two politicians retreated to a private room.

Adams, a Democrat who took office Jan. 1, said he has met with current and former elected officials including ex-mayors Mike Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio as he seeks advice on governing.

“I sit down with elected officials all over this country to find out how do we deal with the solutions,” he said.

Cuomo, also a Democrat, resigned in August after a report from the state’s attorney general found he had sexually harassed at least 11 women. Cuomo denied intentionally mistreating any of the women but said he would step down in order to avoid subjecting the state to months of turmoil.

Asked whether he expressed his concerns about the former governor’s behavior during their dinner, Adams said he was “not going to go into private conversations.”