Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has launched a weekly subscribers-only podcast on the startup platform Quake — his first public initiative since resigning last year over sexual harassment allegations.
The first hourlong episode of “As a Matter of Fact” aired Thursday morning, featuring former Trump White House communications director and Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci as a guest. Mr. Cuomo interviewed pollster Mark Penn and Brookings Institution analyst Elaine Kamarck.
In a statement, Mr. Cuomo pledged to avoid “happy talk” in the podcast, which promises to feature interviews with elected officials and policy analysts.
“I have worked cooperatively and successfully in New York, Washington and across the country,” Mr. Cuomo said. “My intention is to tell you the unvarnished truth — frank and candid — from a person who’s been in the room many times for many years.”
The former three-term governor resigned in August 2021 after an independent report commissioned by New York Attorney General Laetitia James detailed the sexual harassment claims of 11 women, including nine current or former state employees.
After denying the allegations, Mr. Cuomo resigned under pressure from state Democrats, who said they had the votes to impeach him if he did not quit.
The former governor, who has not ruled out a return to politics, now joins his younger brother, Chris Cuomo, a former CNN host, in migrating to a smaller public platform.
CNN fired Chris Cuomo in December after evidence emerged that he had advised his brother’s legal defense against the harassment allegations as the network covered them.
Chris Cuomo joined the subscription television network NewsNation in July, and his political interview series debuted Oct. 3.
Quake launched two years ago with $2.5 million in seed funding. The former governor’s show is the sixth on the platform.
Andrew Cuomo said his show will help listeners “separate fact from opinion” in politics.
“You can have your own opinion, but you can’t have your own facts,” Mr. Cuomo said. “Facts matter most.”
• Sean Salai can be reached at ssalai@washingtontimes.com.
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