‘Bullying is nothing new’ for gov: Blas

Backs Qns. pol’s claim

Mayor de Blasio blasted Gov. Cuomo’s “bullying” of Assemblyman Ron Kim on Thursday and stood by the Queens Democrat, saying, “I believe him.”

“It’s a sad thing to say . . . but that’s classic Andrew Cuomo,” the mayor told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” when asked to weigh in on Kim’s allegation that Cuomo threatened to “destroy” him if he didn’t change a state- ment on the COVID-19 nursing-home scandal.

“A lot of people in New York state have received those phone calls,” said de Blasio, who has feuded with Cuomo. “The bullying is nothing new. I believe Ron Kim, and it’s very, very sad. No public servant, no person who is telling the truth, should be treated that way.

“The threats, the belittling, the demand that someone change their statement right that moment — many, many times I’ve heard that, and I know a lot of other people in the state that have heard that.”

Later, at his press briefing, the mayor reiterated that he had been on the receiving end of Cuomo’s tough talk.

“Many times,” he said. “I believe Ron Kim . . . I believe him, and he did not deserve to be treated that way.

“Ron Kim was trying to raise real concerns and honest concerns on behalf of families in this city, in this state, who have lost loved ones — and that deserves respect, and he wasn’t given respect,” de Blasio said.

Kim (inset) — whose uncle died of COVID-19 in a nursing home — has said Cuomo called him on Feb. 11, the day after Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa admitted in a video call with lawmakers that the state withheld the true nursing-home death toll.

Kim said Cuomo told him, “You have not seen my wrath,” and, “You will be destroyed.”

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said Kim was lying about the conversation and denied threats were made.

Asked about de Blasio’s remarks, Azzopardi referred to a previous statement pointing to the governor and Kim’s “long, hostile relationship.”