A majority of New York state voters think Gov. Andrew Cuomo”™s administration acted unethically in its alleged involvement in an anti-corruption panel, according to a poll released Tuesday by Marist College”™s Institute of Public Opinion.
Yet, the poll ”“ the first since the governor has been accused of meddling with a state anti-corruption commission he ended prematurely ”“ showed that despite perceived ethical breaches, Cuomo, a Democrat, holds a strong lead over Republican opponent Rob Astorino.
Astorino has slightly closed the gap between himself and Cuomo, according to the poll, amid allegations that Cuomo backed off the Moreland Commission from investigating his administration and groups with ties to Cuomo. About 54 percent of voters are leaning toward re-electing Cuomo, compared to 29 percent for Astorino. That is a slight dip in the governor’s lead from the last Marist results, which showed Cuomo ahead 59 percent to 24 percent.
The governor maintained his lead despite 52 percent of respondents saying they believed the administration breached ethics in its involvement with the commission. Eleven percent said they believed members of the Cuomo administration acted illegally.
The governor took a hit in several categories, though, including a major drop in his support in New York City. The governor”™s support in the city region dropped from 80 percent to 66 percent this month. He also lost support from those who believe the state is in need of change and saw a dip in his favorability rating, from 58 percent to 53 percent.
Astorino, Westchester County executive, still faces an uphill battle in terms of name recognition. The candidate, who has proposed a 10-step plan to improve ethics in Albany that includes term limits, is still facing 53 percent of voters who have no opinion of him.
The Moreland Commission was formed in 2013 with the promise of independence from the executive”™s office and trumpeted as a step to clean up Albany after a series of high-profile ethics scandals and corruption-related arrests. Cuomo later dissolved the group in exchange for the Legislature”™s agreement to pass a series of minor ethics reform bills. A New York Times article outlined systematic interference from the administration in the commission, including telling commission members not to issue subpoenas to Cuomo allies. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara is reviewing the administration”™s involvement and disbanding of the commission.
