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ANN KENEVAN on April 30, 2025

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ANN KENEVAN

Andrew Cuomo joined the Clinton administration as an assistant secretary of HUD in 1993. He replaced [Henry] Cisneros as secretary in 1997, where he remained until the end of Clinton’s second term. Cuomo followed the same approach as his predecessor—seeking personal publicity while pandering to spec... View MoreAndrew Cuomo joined the Clinton administration as an assistant secretary of HUD in 1993. He replaced [Henry] Cisneros as secretary in 1997, where he remained until the end of Clinton’s second term. Cuomo followed the same approach as his predecessor—seeking personal publicity while pandering to special interest groups by encouraging those who were not suited for home ownership to nonetheless move into homes. Cuomo began cultivating his self-promotion at HUD as assistant secretary. In 1993, he organized a lavish conference costing taxpayers $235,360 to announce a new anti-poverty program, and he flooded attendees with sloganeered shopping bags, HUD buttons, and glossy brochures. One observer called it a “rah-rah rally for Andrew Cuomo.” Cuomo doubled the number of top-level staff members under him, and in one of his years as assistant secretary, he spent almost a $1 million on travel. According to the Wall Street Journal, the lavish spending on “image-making … strained HUD budgets so much that officials have devised plans to pay some bills by diverting money from projects intended to help people.” Being assistant secretary was a good job, but Andrew Cuomo wanted the top spot. He got his chance when Cisneros announced his intention to resign shortly after Clinton was reelected in 1996. Seattle Mayor Norm Rice was thought to be Clinton’s first choice to replace Cisneros, but he was knocked out when HUD launched an investigation into his possible misuse of a federal loan. The investigation, which was launched a week after the 1996 election, had been approved by Cuomo’s office. The result was that Clinton went with Cuomo as secretary. Rice was later cleared, but the timing of the investigation and a leak to the press suggested involvement by Cuomo. A HUD employee characterized Cuomo’s tenure “as all show and very self-promoting. He always was a politician.” In 2000, Cuomo’s HUD administration issued 302 press releases in 331 working days. Most of these releases contained headlines touting Cuomo, not the president. In a move reminiscent of Samuel Pierce, Cuomo spent $900,000 in taxpayer money on a brochure detailing his own accomplishments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiEWCnpNnBQ

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2 April 30, 2025