New York Democrats push for transsexuals with intact male genitalia to be jailed with real women



New York Democrats reintroduced legislation Wednesday that would permit male felons to be jailed with women in the event that they identify accordingly.

Assembly Bill A709 is an updated version of the "Gender Identity Respect Dignity and Safety Act" sponsored by assemblywoman Nily Rozic last session, which appears to have fizzled out in committee. There was a corresponding bill in the state Senate.

The act, co-sponsored by assembly members Emily Gallagher, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Charles Lavine, and Jo Anne Simon, requires that criminals imprisoned in state and local correctional facilities who claim to "have a gender identity different from their assigned sex at birth be addressed and have access to commissary items, clothing and other materials that are consistent with the person's gender identity."

For instance, a biological male with his male genitals intact must be provided with a tampon in the event that he has requested one and has also stated he identifies as a woman.

Should the bill pass, correctional officers would be required to address transsexual, "gender nonconforming, nonbinary, or intersex" convicts "in a manner that most closely aligns with such person's gender identity, including the name and pronouns specified by that person."

The preferred name in question need not correspond with the name on the convict's government-issued identification.

If a male convict identifies as a woman, he would also have "the right" to be searched by a female correctional officer or staff member.

Prisoners are to be given so-called "affirming medical care" to maintain their "sex characteristics," including, but not limited to, hormone treatments and post-op drugs, if so desired.

Perhaps most controversially, the bill states that criminals must be "placed in a correctional facility with persons of the gender that most closely aligns with such person's self-attested gender identity unless the person opts out of such placement."

To evidence their mental severance of biological sex from gender, a convict need only say so, although a diagnosis of gender dysphoria or a "variation in their sex characteristics" are also valid.

Complaints by other prisoners who do not wish to be housed with a member of the opposite sex (e.g., real women) will be ignored. However, the commissioner could overcome the placement if "there is clear and convincing evidence that such person presents a current danger of committing gender-based violence against others."

The feminist activist group Keep Prisons Single Sex USA noted on Twitter that this exception to the proposed rule sets a high provability standard for the likelihood of re-offense and that the phrasing of "current danger" as opposed to historical danger would ensure that a man who previously abused women could still be jailed with female prisoners.

Keep Prisons Single Sex USA added that "if a male inmate does not present a 'current danger of committing gender-based violence,' but engages in misconduct towards female inmates, like sexual harassment," he would not be returned to a men's prison.

\u201cOnly basis under Bill for denying cross-sex housing:\n\u201cclear and convincing evidence\u201d (high probability standard) of \u201ccurrent danger\u201d (not history, pattern, past crimes) of committing \u201cgender-based\u201d (nobody knows what \u201cgender\u201d means here) \u201cviolence\u201d (harassment not sufficient). 7/\u201d
— Keep Prisons Single Sex USA (@Keep Prisons Single Sex USA) 1673582159

A coalition of transsexual activist and leftist groups penned a letter to members of the state House and Senate in May 2022, suggesting that New York "has not done enough for our community members experiencing incarceration."

This coalition of social constructivists suggested that a "person's genital status" should not be factored into decisions over what type of facility a convict should be assigned to.

The letter suggested that transsexual convicts "are subjected to daily misgendering, abuse, and other inhumane treatment."

According to the LGBT activist organization Equality New York, this bill would be a check against a purported trend in the New York State criminal justice system of transsexual criminals being refused basic rights.

The ACLU of New York claimed that this bill would keep transsexuals safe.

Not all are optimistic about the prospect of women's prisons being flooded with men.

Amanda Stulman of Keep Prisons Single Sex USA wrote to the bill's sponsors on Thursday, noting, "This Bill provides that, unless they opt out, fully genitally-intact, sexually-functioning incarcerated males are presume eligible to be housed in women's prison if they assert – at any time – a gender identity other than 'male.'"

Extra to noting that the bill is opaque about what it means by "gender," as in its reference to "gender-based violence," Stulman argued the legislation would incentivize men to request cross-sex housing.

Under the law, if a transsexual's request for transfer is denied, he can initiate proceedings for "injunctive relief and damages, including reasonable attorney fees."

Stulman suggested, "These terms invite declarations of 'gender identity' differing from one's sex with the prospect of (a) being awarded placement in a women's incarceration facility; (b) a monetary reward; (c) attorney fees paid by the state."

The law, according to Stulman, may also run afoul of women's rights, particularly those with deeply-held, Constitutionally-protected religious beliefs requiring that they not be around naked men.

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AOC lashes out at her party after Republicans shock with election performance in New York



Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is demanding accountability among her own after Republicans made significant gains across the Empire State on Election Day.

What did AOC say?

Reacting to Election Day results, Ocasio-Cortez demanded that Jay Jacobs, the New York State Democratic Party president, resign from his position.

"NYS Dem party leadership, which was gutted under [former Gov. Andrew] Cuomo, stuffed with lobbyists, works to boost GOP, and failed to pass a basic state ballot measure to protect NY redistricting, must be accountable," Ocasio-Cortez said.

"I called for Jay Jacob’s resignation a year ago and I still hold that position," she added.

\u201cNYS Dem party leadership, which was gutted under Cuomo, stuffed with lobbyists, works to boost GOP, and failed to pass a basic state ballot measure to protect NY redistricting, must be accountable.\n\nI called for Jay Jacob\u2019s resignation a year ago and I still hold that position.\u201d
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1668005582

To say that Democrats underperformed in New York is an understatement.

Election data shows that Republicans performed better in every single county in New York compared to their 2020 results. In fact, Republican Lee Zeldin, who challenged Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), completely flipped eight New York counties from blue to red.

Because of the poor performance, Ocasio-Cortez believes her party's leaders must be held accountable.

"Last night’s NY underperformance is a testament to years of prioritizing calcified machine politics and favoring over performance, strategy, & organizing," she said. "To win from here, Jacobs must go and we must recenter the party to better value community leadership and small-d democracy."

What is the background?

This is not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has called for Jacobs to step down.

Last year, Jacobs was accused of comparing India Walton — a black woman who ran for mayor of Buffalo — to former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. The backlash against Jacobs included Ocasio-Cortez demanding his resignation.

"Jay Jacobs absolutely should resign over his disgusting comments comparing a Black single mother who won a historic election to David Duke," Ocasio-Cortez said at the time.

"As a federally elected official in the NY Dem party, I have 0 confidence in Jay Jacobs’ ability to lead an NY Dem party that is inclusive & respectful of all," she added. "This is just his latest incident. Jacobs is a toxic presence in the party and his continued post as Chair is shameful."

New York's 'sensitive location' gun ban goes into effect, but judge flags 'unconstitutional statute'



New York's sweeping new gun restrictions went into effect Thursday after a federal judge declined to block the state from creating gun-free zones in so-called "sensitive" locations.

Under the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, lawful gun owners will not be allowed to carry their firearms in public spaces including parks, houses of worship, theaters, and much more. Democrats introduced the legislation in July after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 109-year-old state law that required citizens to show proper cause to apply for a concealed carry permit. The high court effectively ruled that "may issue" concealed carry permit regimes were unconstitutional, expanding gun rights nationwide.

In response to that decision, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to enact laws that "go right up to the line" in terms of legally permissible gun restrictions. She claimed that the Supreme Court "destroyed the ability for a governor to be able to protect her citizens from people who carry concealed weapons anywhere they choose."

She signed the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, which requires concealed carry applicants to undergo 16 hours of classroom training and two hours of live-fire exercises before being approved for a permit. In addition to banning guns in "sensitive" locations, it mandates that applicants must also undergo a review of their social media accounts over the last three years and must provide four character references who can attest to the applicant's "good character."

Gun rights groups and an upstate New York resident had sued to block the law from taking effect, arguing lawful gun owners could be denied concealed weapon permits on subjective grounds. They also challenged the sensitive locations provision and training requirements, but on Wednesday, Judge Glenn Suddaby of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York dismissed their case.

In a 78-page opinion, the judge said that while many of the plaintiffs' arguments had merit, they lacked standing to challenge any aspect of the law. He gave several reasons why other pending legal challenges to the new concealed carry permit regime may succeed.

The judge said outright that the New York State Legislature "has generated an unconstitutional statute" because the law states, "No license shall be issued or renewed except for an applicant ... of good moral character, which ... shall mean having the essential character, temperament and judgement necessary ... to use [the weapon entrusted to the applicant] only in a manner that does not endanger oneself or others."

The legislature "forgot four important words — 'other than in self-defense,'" Suddaby wrote. "The Court has difficulty imagining how any law-abiding, responsibile citizen could ever 'use' a concealed handgun to defend himself or herself in public against another person in a manner that does not 'endanger' the other person.'"

Suddaby also determined that some of the "sensitive" locations named in the New York law are "nonsensitive by nature."

Gun Owners of America, one of the plaintiffs in the case, vowed to continue to fight the law.

“Despite the judge’s dismissal of the complaint, his opinion contains a silver lining for New Yorkers and the nation, as the robust precedent laid out by the Supreme Court in June is clearly making headway," GOA senior vice president Erich Pratt said in a statement. "GOA looks forward to continuing the fight against clear violations of the Second Amendment, as we work to restore the rights of all Americans.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who defended the state law in court, claimed a "major victory" against "baseless attacks by the gun lobby."

"Responsible gun control measures save lives," the attorney general tweeted. "As gun violence continues to impact communities across the country, any attempts by the gun lobby to tear down New York’s sensible gun control laws will be met with fierce defense of the law."

New York Democrats unveil grand plan to circumvent Supreme Court and gun rights



New York Democrats introduced legislation Friday that would ban licensed gun owners from carrying concealed weapons in a "sensitive location," including Times Square, on mass public transit, in schools, polling places, and government buildings, ABC News reports.

The bill is an attempt by lawmakers to, in the words of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, "go right up to the line" in terms of legally permissible gun regulations after the Supreme Court struck down a state law that restricted who may obtain a concealed carry license last week.

In a 6-3 decision, the court said that a century-old New York law requiring gun owners to show "proper cause" to carry a concealed weapon outside their home was unconstitutional. The ruling effectively ended "may issue" concealed carry license regimes, guaranteeing that states "shall issue" concealed carry licenses to firearms owners who apply for them.

Democrats decried the court's decision and immediately began plotting ways to circumvent the Second Amendment. They have settled on laws designating "sensitive places" where citizens may not carry weapons — essentially creating gun-free zones in places including the subway, trains, buses and ferries, government buildings, houses of worship, schools, libraries, public playgrounds, public parks, zoos, homeless shelters, and polling places, according to ABC News.

Hochul said Wednesday that Democrats will not "cross the line" drawn by the court, but vowed to "do whatever we can to protect New Yorkers.” She called for a special session of the legislature to adopt new gun control laws.

The bill put forward Friday would also ban carrying firearms on private property by default, unless the property owner installs signage permitting guns or has otherwise expressed consent to guns being permitted, ABC News reports.

There are exceptions for law enforcement, peace officers, active-duty military personnel, and security, who would be allowed to carry guns in sensitive places. Also, anyone engaged in lawful hunting may carry guns in sensitive locations.

A violation would be a felony offense.

New York lawmakers also want to set up two databases to track gun owners.

The first would be a statewide license and record database to be created and maintained by police and checked each month for accuracy and to verify whether a person is a valid license holder. These records would be checked against records for criminal convictions, criminal indictments, mental health, extreme risk protection orders (granted by the state's red-flag law), and protection orders.

The second police database would track ammunition sales. Firearms dealers would be required to keep records of all their transactions involving guns and ammunition.

Democrats insist their legislation would survive a challenge on constitutional grounds.

"We’re continuing to have serious discussions, because the implications are hard to overstate,” state Sen. Zellnor Myrie told the NY Daily News. "We want to ensure we’re doing this in a constitutional way, in a way that comports with the court’s opinion.”

But gun rights activists like Aaron Dorr, the executive director of the New York State Firearms Association, were skeptical.

“She’s telling business owners how they need to conduct their business if they want to stay open. These are unconstitutional mandates, and I think it’ll be struck down by the courts,” Door told WNBC-TV.

New York enacts sweeping new gun ownership restrictions



New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a sweeping package of gun control bills into law Monday, calling gun violence "a disease that is tearing our nation apart."

The state legislature passed and Hochul signed into law 10 bills that will implement new restrictions on gun ownership, including raising the age to purchase a semiautomatic rifle in New York from 18 to 21 years old. Democratic lawmakers claim the new gun control measures will close "loopholes" in existing laws that were exposed by the deadly mass shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas last month.

In addition to raising the age to purchase a rifle, lawmakers banned the sale of bulletproof armor for anyone not in law enforcement, strengthened the state's red flag law to take guns away from mentally unstable people, and introduced new requirements for social media companies to monitor and report "hateful conduct" on their platforms.

"Gun violence is an epidemic that is tearing our country apart. Thoughts and prayers won't fix this, but taking strong action will," Hochul said in a statement.

"I am proud to sign a comprehensive bill package that prohibits the sale of semiautomatic weapons to people under 21, bans body armor sales outside of people in select professions, closes critical gun law loopholes and strengthens our Red Flag Law to keep guns away from dangerous people—new measures that I believe will save lives," she added.

\u201cGun violence is a disease that is plaguing our country.\u00a0\n\nIn New York, we act boldly and we lead.\n\nThank you to @AndreaSCousins, @CarlHeastie, and all the advocates for their work to quickly pass this transformative package of gun legislation that will protect all New Yorkers.\u201d
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@Governor Kathy Hochul) 1654565817

Several of the new laws are specific responses to the deadly mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket, where an 18-year-old gunman with racist motivations allegedly shot and killed 10 black people and wounded three others.

The firearms used in the deadly shooting were purchased legally. Now the law prohibits an 18-year-old from purchasing a rifle. "No 18-year-old can walk in on their birthday and walk out with an AR-15," Hochul told reporters Monday. "Those days are over."

Under the strengthened red flag law, law enforcement is now required to seek an order from a judge to seize the weapons of anyone they believe may pose a threat to themselves or others. The alleged shooter threatened to commit a murder-suicide at his high school in 2021, but no one sought an extreme risk protection order to remove his access to firearms under existing law at the time.

Hochul praised state lawmakers for working to pass these new gun restrictions and urged Congress "to follow our lead and take immediate action to pass meaningful gun violence prevention measures."

There are several gun control bills under consideration in Congress but most of the measures preferred by anti-gun activists do not have enough support to pass. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) are trying to reach a compromise on a federal bill that would incentivize state governments to adopt red flag laws similar to ones in New York and Florida. Any compromise will need 10 Republicans to sign on to overcome a filibuster with 60 votes.

Federal judge blisters New York Democrats over illegal congressional district map: 'This is a Hail Mary pass'



A federal judge slammed New York Democrats on Wednesday after they sought an emergency injunction requesting the state's primary election next month use a congressional district map that was illegally gerrymandered.

What is the background?

Last month, the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, ruled that New York Democrats violated the state constitution by drawing a gerrymandered congressional district map "with impermissible partisan purpose."

Because of the ruling and to allot enough time to redraw the map, congressional and state Senate primary elections were moved from June 28 to Aug. 23.

The map, proposed earlier this year, was described as "brutal" for Republicans because it essentially guaranteed Democrats would win 22 of the state's 26 congressional districts.

BREAKING: here is NY Dems' full congressional proposal, courtesy of @zach_solomon1. This is a 22D-4R gerrymander - and a pretty effective one. https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::5874bc89-4c16-4f21-8c5a-cdabf80aeac5\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/yd7Iqx6DPh
— Dave Wasserman (@Dave Wasserman) 1643582605

What happened now?

New York Democrats sought relief in federal court this week. They argued the state's June primary should be allowed to move forward using the illegal map because there is not enough time to draw "new district lines and still comply with a longstanding federal court order meant to protect the rights of Americans casting ballots from overseas," according to the New York Times.

But federal District Judge Lewis Kaplan, a Democrat, vehemently disagreed.

Kaplan mocked New York Democrats for treating the June 28 date as if it "came down on a stone tablet in the middle of the Negev or wherever Moses brought the tablet down from on high," Politico reported.

"This is a Hail Mary pass, the object of which is to take a long shot try at having the New York primaries conducted on district lines that the state says are unconstitutional," the judge chided.

In fact, Kaplan suggested Democrats' request demonstrated a lack of respect for fair elections and the judicial system.

"In the 102 years since my father, then a Ukrainian refugee, came into this country, if there were two things that he drilled into my head, they were … free, open, rational elections [and] respect for the courts," Kaplan said, Politico reported. "The relief that I’m being asked to give today impinges, to some degree, on the public perception of both. And I’m not going to do that."

What happens now?

In the coming days, panel of judges, including Kaplan and two others, will hear Democrats' arguments in full. If they reject Democrats' arguments, then Democrats can appeal directly to the Supreme Court. Otherwise, New York's primaries will proceed with newly drawn maps.

Court slaps New York Democrats with major loss over district map: 'Unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering'



An appellate court in New York hit Democrats with a significant loss late Thursday, ruling the congressional district map approved by state Democrats is illegally gerrymandered.

What is the background?

New York Democrats introduced their proposed map of the Empire State's congressional districts earlier this year, and the state legislature adopted it.

The map, which political geography expert Dave Wasserman "described as "brutal" for Republicans, drew congressional districts in such a way that Republicans would be able to win just four seats at most, making the 22 other districts Democratic strongholds.

BREAKING: here is NY Dems' full congressional proposal, courtesy of @zach_solomon1. This is a 22D-4R gerrymander - and a pretty effective one. https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::5874bc89-4c16-4f21-8c5a-cdabf80aeac5\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/yd7Iqx6DPh
— Dave Wasserman (@Dave Wasserman) 1643582605

What happened now?

An appeals court panel ruled that New York Democrats "engaged in unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering" when drawing the new map

The court explained Democrats thus violated the New York state constitution, which states that district maps "shall not be drawn to discourage competition or for the purpose of favoring or disfavoring incumbents or other particular candidates or political parties."

The court based its decision on three factors:

  1. "[D]emocratic leaders in the legislaturedrafted the 2022 congressional redistricting map without any [R]epublican input, and the map was adopted by the legislature without asingle [R]epublican vote in favor of it."
  2. "[U]nder the 2012congressional map there were 19 elected [D]emocrats and 8 elected [R]epublicans and under the 2022 congressional map there were 22 [D]emocrat-majority and 4 [R]epublican-majority districts."
  3. Third, the court agreed with the expert testimony of political analyst Sean Trende, who testified that it was "implausible,if not impossible" that the map was drawn without partisan intent.

Michael Li, senior counsel for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, told the New York Times the outcome was not surprising.

"Like other state courts around the country, New York courts aren’t finding the question of whether a map is a partisan gerrymander a particularly hard one to decide," Li said. "It’s very hard to defend a map like New York’s, and ultimately if it quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck."

Affirming the state legislature's right to draw the map, the court thus ordered lawmakers to redraw the map by April 30 or a court-appointed neutral expert will redraw it. However, the court did not say whether primaries scheduled for June will be postponed due to the illegality of the current map.

Top Democratic leaders, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, are expected to appeal the ruling to the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest court.

Why is this important?

Congressional maps are especially important this year because control of Congress hangs in the balance.

Although Democrats are expected to face a "shellacking" in the 2022 midterm elections, they can mitigate losses if they enact heavily gerrymandered district maps. But even gerrymandering may not save them, because an increasing number of Democrats are vulnerable to losing election.

Brooklyn Democrat becomes latest to switch parties over radical, 'un-American' left-wing politics, claims, 'This is just the beginning'



A former Democratic state assemblyman in Brooklyn, New York, has become the latest to ditch the Democratic Party over its wholehearted embrace of radical progressive policies.

What are the details?

Alec Brook-Krasny, who is eyeing a run as a Republican for his old state assembly seat in the 46th district, told the New York Post that he switched his political affiliation after becoming fed up with his former party's leftward drift.

"I can’t believe everything that’s going on in the Democratic Party, all the calls to ‘defund the police,’ the cancel culture. It goes against my character and my nature," Brook-Krasny said in a recent interview.

"Members of the Democratic Party turned on the police — the people who provide safety and security to our constituents," he added, reportedly referring to the city's recent elimination of cash bail for most offenses.

The new Republican also noted that he is a strong supporter of school choice and charter school expansion. He called the Democratic Party's efforts to limit education options for parents and their children "un-American."

Brook-Krasny hopes to unseat Democratic incumbent Mathylde Frontus in his old district, which after redistricting includes Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights.

The district is reportedly one of several in the city and its nearby suburbs that have started to trend more moderate amid the Democratic Party's mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter riots. President Joe Biden's first-year failures haven't done the party any favors, either.

Brook-Krasny told the Post he likely won't be the last to jump ship.

"I think this is just the beginning," he said. "I think we will see a trend. I’ve tried for a long time, but I don’t think I can change the Democratic Party from the inside out, so it’s time to work from the outside."

What else?

The Post reported that Republicans have earned noteworthy victories at the ballot box in recent months. One of those victories was wrested by another former Democratic lawmaker, Inna Vernikov.

Vernikov — a newly elected Republican council member who trounced Democrat Steven Saperstein by 30 points to win in the 48th District in November — said she also switched parties after realizing how bad the Democratic Party's policies were for the city.

"I was a registered Democrat for a brief time because I believed that in order to impact outcomes of elections in NYC, you had to be a Democrat," Vernikov told the Post.

"However, seeing what the Democratic Party has done to our country and our city — the policies resulting in out of control crime, homelessness, a declining economy, and a shift towards socialism, I could no longer remain a Democrat even on paper," she said.

"It is not surprising to see individuals waking up and switching party affiliations," Vernikov added. "We need more Republicans in office."

Gov. Cuomo slams politicians calling for his resignation, says he will not bow to 'cancel culture'



New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Friday once again refused to resign even as seven women have now accused him of sexual harassment and state Democratic lawmakers have opened an impeachment investigation against him. Cuomo called those lawmakers "reckless" and "dangerous" during a phone conference with reporters and vowed that he would not bow to "cancel culture."

The majority of House Democrats from New York stunned the political world Friday by making coordinated announcements calling for Cuomo's resignation after Democrats in the state Assembly launched an impeachment investigation the day before. On the same day, a female reporter named Jessica Bakeman became the seventh woman to come forward with accusations of sexual harassment against the governor, writing in New York magazine that Cuomo touched her inappropriately and that "he uses touching and sexual innuendo to stoke fear in us. That is the textbook definition of sexual harassment."

Cuomo is also under investigation by an independent probe appointed by the New York State attorney general's office and is still facing criticism over his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic and his executive orders sending COVID-19-positive patients from hospitals to nursing homes and group homes for people with disabilities.

Addressing the sexual harassment allegations, the governor reiterated his position that New Yorkers should wait for the investigations to be completed before forming an opinion of the facts.

"There are often many motivations for making an allegation. And that is why you need to know the facts before you make a decision. There are now two reviews under way. No one wants them to happen more quickly and more thoroughly than I do. Let them do it," Cuomo said.

"I'm not going to argue this issue in the press. That is not how it is done; that is not the way it should be done. Serious allegations should be weighed seriously, right? That's why they are called serious," Cuomo lectured reporters, adding that there's a difference between "facts" and "opinions."

"Politicians who don't know a single fact but yet form a conclusion and an opinion, are in my opinion, reckless and dangerous," he charged. "The people of New York should not have confidence in a politician who takes a position without knowing any facts or substance. That, my friends, is politics at its worst."

Continuing, he said politicians take positions for "political expediency," among other reasons.

"People know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture, and the truth," Cuomo said. "Let the review proceed. I'm not going to resign. I was not elected by the politicians; I was elected by the people.

"Part of this is that I am not part of the political club, and you know what? I'm proud of it," Cuomo, the son of Mario Cuomo, a former governor of New York and ex-husband of Kerry Kennedy, the third daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, audaciously claimed.

He further denied the allegations against him, saying he has "been in the public eye my entire life" and won multiple elections under public scrutiny. He reiterated that voters should wait for the completed reports from the attorney general's independent probe, saying "an opinion without facts is irresponsible."

After fielding questions from reporters, Cuomo concluded, "Politics is part of all of this. But I just will focus on my job. In the meantime, I want to make it clear that what is being alleged just did not happen. The last allegation is not true and I've not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate, period."

Top New York Democrat fires warning shot at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over rumors she will run for Senate



Just days after the 2020 election, Democrats operatives began suggesting that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) should challenge Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in the 2022 Democratic primary.

However, a top New York Democrat is already warning Ocasio-Cortez from launching such a challenge.

What are the details?

Jay Jacobs, chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee, told the New York Post on Saturday that Ocasio-Cortez should slam the brakes on any idea of challenging Schumer for his seat.

"I think it would be a primary driven by ambition more than by need," Jacobs told the Post.

In fact, Jacobs predicted that Ocasio-Cortez would "absolutely" lose a head-to-head battle against Schumer.

"Chuck Schumer has been a progressive force in the state for decades," he explained. "She has a constituency that admires her and supports her, and they're in her community, and I think it would be a loss for them if she were to do that."

What has AOC said?

When asked about her political aspirations in October, Ocasio-Cortez told Vanity Fair that she does not plan to remain in the House.

"I don't know if I'm really going to be staying in the House forever," she said. "I don't see myself really staying where I'm at for the rest of my life."

Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez told The Intercept earlier in December that the Democratic Party needs new leadership in Congress, a direct shot at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Schumer.

Pelosi has served in Congress for more than three decades, and Schumer has been in Congress for four decades this January. They have spent a combined three decades in Democratic congressional leadership.

Anything else?

While progressives would love to see Ocasio-Cortez advance their agenda in the Senate, the Democratic Party has become increasingly outspoken against Ocasio-Cortez's brand of far-left politics.

After the 2020 election, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), a moderate Democrat, blasted far-left politics, attributing the progressive agenda, which includes items like "defund the police," to Democrats' election losses.

"We need to be pretty clear," Spanberger reportedly said. "It was a failure. It was not a success. We lost incredible members of Congress."

"We have to commit to not saying the words 'defund the police' ever again," she said. "We need to not ever use the words socialist or socialism ever again."

"If we run this race again we will get f***ing torn apart again in 2022," Spanberger predicted.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) agreed, saying that if Democrats "are going to run on Medicare for All, defund the police, socialized medicine, we're not going to win" future elections.

Meanwhile, House Democrats recently snubbed Ocasio-Cortez from a seat on the prized House Energy and Commerce Committee, which would have allowed her to promote her health care and climate policy goals. Democrats chose Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), a moderate Democrat, for the seat instead.