That was then...

New York, November 20, 2020 — Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York will receive this year’s International Emmy® Founders Award, in recognition of his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic and his masterful use of television to inform and calm people around the world. 

Let's briefly examine Cuomo's Emmy Award–winning leadership record handling the Wuhan virus in New York State, especially regarding the elderly.  Hint: It is not good.

New York governor Andrew Cuomo may finally be facing a partial reckoning for sending elderly COVID patients back into nursing homes, thereby spreading the disease to the most vulnerable group of all, the elderly.  New York State also has the highest COVID death toll (42,000) but is only the fourth largest state by population. ...

Thanks to a report by New York attorney general Letitia James, it is now on the public record that the COVID deaths among nursing home residents were undercounted by as much as 50%, mostly thanks to the trick of failing to count the deaths of those who were readmitted to hospitals and died there.

This is now. 

A few days ago, another accusation against Cuomo dropped.  Sexual harassment.  In a detailed report, Lindsey Boylan, the former chief of staff at New York's state economic agency, described the ongoing

... culture within his administration where sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive that it is not only condoned but expected.  His inappropriate behavior toward women was an affirmation that he liked you, that you must be doing something right.  He used intimidation to silence his critics. And if you dared to speak up, you would face consequences.

While giving numerous examples of Cuomo's sexual bullying and physical assaults against her and even from other female staffers who confided in her that, #MeToo, they too endured similar behavior from Cuomo, she also admits:

I know some will brush off my experience as trivial. We are accustomed to powerful men behaving badly when no one is watching.  But what does it say about us when everyone is watching and no one says a thing?

Now, I firmly believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty in a court room.  Having expressed these caveats, nevertheless, these are credible accusations. 

While there are growing calls to impeach Governor Cuomo plus demands that he resign, Cuomo is hanging tough.  Denying the accusations and continuing to behave governor-like, Cuomo defends his record and accuses the accusers.  

My belief in innocent until proven guilty remains.  However, the Emmy Award is tarnishing and even melting before our very eyes because of the numerous — and believable —accusations regarding Cuomo's "leadership."  Perhaps the Emmy Awards committee might soon award itself its own lifetime achievement Emmy for hypocrisy, stupidity, and willingness to be duped to advance its own political and social agenda.

More is sure to come.  And New York State citizens will probably no longer remain calm as they await the verdict.

Image: Pat Arnow via Flickr.