(Bloomberg) -- Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, in his first public speech since resigning more than six months ago, delivered a 25-minute address Sunday in which he repeatedly cast himself as a victim of “cancel culture” who was unfairly driven from office.
Cuomo voluntarily resigned from the governor's office in August 2021 after an independent investigation overseen by New York Attorney General Letitia James's office found he'd sexually harassed multiple women, including several state employees.
Cuomo's address, at God's Battalion of Prayer Church in Brooklyn, echoed the same themes he struck in an interview with Bloomberg News in February, when he blamed James for his political downfall. The speech, which made no mention of any attempt at a political comeback, comes shortly after he launched a $370,000 television and digital ad campaign aimed at clearing his name.
Cuomo characterized the investigation into his behavior as “prosecutorial misconduct,” and, without naming James directly, said, “They used cancel culture to effectively overturn an election.”
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Cuomo offered a public apology for his behavior and said he'd done nothing to break the law.
“I didn't appreciate how fast the perspectives changed,” he said. “I've learned a powerful lesson and paid a very high price for learning that lesson.”
James, who is seeking re-election in a June Democratic primary, issued a blistering statement from her campaign office shortly after Cuomo spoke.
“Serial sexual harasser Andrew Cuomo won't even spare a house of worship from his lies,” she said in the statement. “Even though multiple independent investigations found his victims to be credible, Cuomo continues to blame everyone but himself.”
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