NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio reacts to claim that Gov. Andrew Cuomo had dartboard with his face on it



New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio reacted Friday to a claim that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had a dartboard in the pool house at the governor's mansion with a photo of the mayor's face on it, by making a dig against the embattled governor before calling Cuomo's purported display "juvenile."

What are the details?

The New Yorker reported this week that former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan — the first of several women to come forward accusing the governor of sexual harassment — claims she spotted a dartboard with de Blasio's face on it while at a party held at the pool house during her tenure in the administration between 2015 and 2018.

The magazine reported:

Boylan recalled seeing a dartboard bearing a photo of Bill de Blasio, Cuomo's antagonist since he was elected Mayor of New York City, in 2014. "I couldn't believe how brazen that was," she said. (A spokesperson for the Governor declined to comment on the dartboard.)

During a media conference, de Blasio was asked for his take on the dartboard allegation.

"Well, I'll tell ya, the first thing I thought...we know that Gov. Cuomo, like Donald Trump, has been obsessed with the size of his hands, so I thought with those big, big hands, how could he possibly hold those tiny, tiny darts. Must have been very difficult."

After the attempted joke, de Blasio added, "No, look, it's juvenile. It's just like frat house humor. It's not something you would like to see from someone who has, like, serious leadership responsibilities. But, it is what it is."

@emmagf NYC Mayor de Blasio on NY Gov. Cuomo having his face on a dartboard:“We know that Gov. Cuomo, like Donald… https://t.co/Cbx4uGl7Ct
— The Recount (@The Recount)1616183585.0

According to the attorney of another Cuomo accuser, the governor has a "preoccupation with his hand size and what the large size of his hands indicated to [their client] and other members of his staff."

Former President Donald Trump's hands became a topic in the 2016 Republican primary debates, after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) made a joke about his then-rival.

Anything else?

The New York Daily News reported that "De Blasio and Cuomo, who are both Democrats, have long feuded. But their rivalry has reached new and public lows as the governor faces a storm of sexual misconduct allegations and loud calls for his resignation."

Earlier this month, the mayor said of Cuomo, "I just don't see how he could govern effectively when fewer and fewer people believe him."

Cuomo hit with sixth sexual harassment claim, accused of touching another woman inappropriately



New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has been accused of sexual harassment by a sixth woman — an aide who claims he touched her inappropriately during an encounter at the governor's mansion late last year.

What are the details?

The Albany Times Union reported Tuesday that the latest alleged victim to come forward is a member of the Executive Chamber staff who claims the governor made the unwanted advances toward her at the mansion in Albany when she "had been summoned to do work."

An Executive Chamber supervisor just recently became aware of the allegation, and other employees reported the complaint over the weekend to the governor's office and to the New York attorney general's office, where an investigation into five other sexual harassment claims is already ongoing.

According to the Times Union, the aide has not filed a formal complaint herself, and the outlet is withholding her name until she can be reached for comment.

Cuomo was asked about the latest allegation during a conference call with the press on Tuesday, but said that he was not aware of the allegation.

"First, I'm not aware of any other claim," the Democrat insisted, reiterating, "As I said last week, this is very simple, I never touched anyone inappropriately."

"No one ever told me at the time that I made them feel uncomfortable," the governor continued, adding, "Obviously, there are people who said after the fact that I made them uncomfortable."

The sexual harassment allegations that surfaced in recent weeks have led New York politicians on both sides of the aisle to join calls for Cuomo to resign.

The governor was already embroiled in scandal over claims that his administration underreported nursing home deaths last year over fears of the political fallout from his executive order placing COVID-19 positive patients in long-term care facilities at the start of the pandemic.

The state's Democrat-led legislature moved last week to strip him of the emergency powers granted to him during the pandemic, and Republicans are rallying efforts to have the governor impeached.

This week, Fox News reported that Cuomo also ordered homes for people with developmental disabilities to take in coronavirus patients in an order that remains in place.

Anything else?

Despite the backlash from the scandals, Cuomo has adamantly refused to step down, arguing that he "was elected by the people of the state," and not by the politicians who want him out.