Gov. Andrew Cuomo's campaign sent broadcast stations a letter Monday in an attempt to pull an ad from his potential general election opponent in the governor's race.
MOLINARO SLAMS CUOMO OVER CORRUPTION CONVICTIONS OF FORMER ASSOCIATES
"Andrew Cuomo's top advisers are going to jail for stealing your tax dollars. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. And now he is under investigation again in another pay-to-play scam," said a portion of the ad from Republican candidate for governor Marc Molinaro.
In an unusual move, the Cuomo team sent stations airing the ad a cease and desist letter threatening legal action if they ran it. The letter was written by Cuomo's campaign manager, not an attorney.
"Given the false, misleading and defamatory content of the Molinaro advertisement, we respectfully request that you cease and desist from any further broadcast or publication," the letter said in part.
"I find it absurd because the governor on several occasions has been asked about the Crystal Run investigation, and if I remember correctly has suggested something along the lines of he can't comment because there's an ongoing investigation," Molinaro said in a press conference.
In statement, the Cuomo campaign shot back, calling Molinaro a "President Trump mini-me." They called his attacks false and desperate. Stations opted to run the Molinaro ad despite Cuomo's protests.
NIXON PICKS UP FOURTH ENDORSEMENT FROM A SITTING STATE LAWMAKER
Cuomo's Democratic primary opponent, meanwhile, rolled out her fourth endorsement from a sitting state lawmaker Monday, as State Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell endorsed Cynthia Nixon. The Upper West Side lawmaker has been active on LGBT issues in the legislature but is choosing to endorse the challenger despite Cuomo's passage of marriage equality in 2011.
"I'm here today to thankfully endorse my dear friend Cynthia Nixon to be the next governor of the state of New York," O'Donnell said. "She shares our values, she's a progressive, she's smart."
Nixon was on the campaign trail for the second straight day. But her campaign last week only sent out advisories for public events on three out of seven days. With the primary fast approaching, critics have questioned her commitment to the race and her desire to unseat Cuomo.
Nixon laughed off any suggestion of that: "I've been on the campaign trail for the last five months-plus. I'm not sure what you mean."