NYC Mayor’s Race: Mamdani bringing Cuomo’s accusers to debate proves a double-edged political sword

At the second and final NYC Mayoral election debate this year, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani brought two women who have accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment to sit in the audience.

The move attracted attention both to those claims, which the former governor Cuomo denies to this day — and to a practice of politicians inviting guests from their opponent’s past to level accusations of wrongdoing.

Mamdani invited as his guests to the Oct. 22 debate, held at Long Island City’s LaGuardia Community College, Charlotte Bennett and Karen Hinton — both of whom had accused Cuomo of sexual harassment dating back at least five years. They were at the heart of a scandal that brought down the Cuomo administration in the summer of 2021; he resigned that August amid a building wave of criticism and threats of impeachment over the accusations, which he has always denied.

During the cross-examination portion of the Oct. 22 debate, Mamdani decided to use his one question at Cuomo, to remind the audience that Bennett was present in his attempt to dramatize and bring accusations into the present.

“She cannot speak up for herself, because you lodged a defamation case against her,” Mamdani said. “I, however, can speak.”

Cuomo replied that the claims had been litigated and not upheld in civil or criminal court.

“If you want to be in government, then you have to be serious and mature,” Cuomo said, suggesting Mamdani was using the invitation and accusations to distract.

Why did Mamdani invite Cuomo’s accusers?

Some observers have suggested that while inviting accusers can draw attention to potential issues, it can also be perceived as a debate tactic.

“Accountability is essential, but so is fairness,” said Jaci Clement, CEO and executive director of media watchdog group the Fair Media Council. “When candidates use accusations as a campaign tactic, it can be seen as exploiting the victim on one end of the spectrum and as political theater on the other.”

Clement said that accusations, particularly when accusers are present, can overshadow other aspects of the debate.

“As a strategy, it pulls attention from the policy issues voters need to hear,” Clement said. ”And yes, we live in a post-truth era, where emotion and outrage are often the goal, to generate attention, even at the expense of talking points, platforms, and public service.”

Lawyers appointed by New York State Attorney General Letitia James in 2021 found Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women, including Bennett. The claims have never led to any criminal charges against Cuomo.

James soon after made an abbreviated run for governor after Cuomo resigned, as these claims took a political toll, although none were upheld in either civil or criminal court. In 2022, James ultimately chose to run for re-election rather than challenge the incumbent, Kathy Hochul.

Bennett, meanwhile, sued Cuomo in 2022 and dropped the suit in 2024, settling with New York State this year. The Mamdani campaign, however, explained that it sought to give Bennett a voice after being “effectively silenced” by Cuomo.

“Bennett — who has not been in the same room as Andrew Cuomo since 2020 — has been effectively silenced by Cuomo, who has repeatedly filed legal summons for defamation, intended to prevent her from speaking about the case,” according to a press release Mamdani issued after the debate.

A distraction ‘stunt’, Cuomo campaign says

The day after the Oct. 22 debate, a Cuomo spokesman reiterated the belief that Mamdani’s question about Bennett was a stunt designed to distract from his own issues.

“If you want to be mayor, in charge of a 118,000-member workforce, you have to be serious. It’s not just stunts,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said. “It’s a tactic [used] when you don’t have substance. And Mamdani certainly does not have substance.”

Azzopardi said he believes the goal was to rattle Cuomo, which he said did not occur.

“It was ineffective,” he added. “If the goal was to rattle Andrew Cuomo, that goal certainly fell short.”

He called the action “a stunt, a gimmick, a magic trick” and said you “need more than illusions to run for mayor.”

Cuomo, meanwhile, has reached back into Mamdani’s past, focusing on Tweets and other statements often made years ago defaming the NYPD. Azzopardi said Mamdani’s words are even more important due to his limited time in public service.

Azzopardi said Cuomo invited guests the former governor wanted to thank for their efforts in this election and in the past.

“The people we brought to the debate are longtime supporters and volunteers who were excited about attending the debate,” Azzopardi said. “This was a thank you for their hard work.”

Past examples of audience guest tactic

While Mamdani’s invitation attracted attention, it’s not the first time a candidate has brought accusers to a debate.

Donald Trump in 2016, before the second presidential debate against Hillary Clinton, again held a press conference with Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones, and Kathleen Willey — all of whom accused President Bill Clinton of sexual assault or harassment.

Kathy Shelton, whose attacker in a rape case was defended by Hillary Clinton, also took part in the press conference.

The women sat in the audience at the presidential debate, only days after the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape in which Trump was recorded making sexist remarks when he thought his microphone was turned off.

Guests at speeches and debates have made news before, sometimes when they spoke up during proceedings.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in 2020 invited gun reform advocate Fred Guttenberg to President Trump’s State of the Union speech that year.

Guttenberg’s 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was one of 17 killed in the 2018 school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

“Just as we believe in the First Amendment, we also believe in another constitutional right that is under siege all across the country,” Trump said during the 2020 State of the Union. “So long as I am president, I will always protect your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.”

Guttenberg shouted opposition and was summarily ushered out, as Trump continued his speech.

“I let my emotions get the best of me,” Guttenberg later said. “I simply want to be able to deal with the reality of gun violence and not have to listen to the lies about the [Second Amendment] as happened tonight.”

He added that he felt he had not served his cause by expressing his emotions at that moment.

“I do owe my family and friends an apology,” Guttenberg said. “I have tried to conduct myself with dignity throughout this process, and I will do better as I pursue gun safety.”