NY Gov Andrew Cuomo attacks North Carolina leaders, Bathroom law, violates Hatch Act
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo targeted for using taxpayer funds to attack ads in North Carolina criticizing the state’s leadership and the state’s new bathroom law. The Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939, regulates the political activity of sitting government officials, barring the misuse of official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election.
Retired North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr filed a complaint with both the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) and New York’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics, over the ads that market New York’s business climate as “where the true leaders are” and “where we understand the value of diversity.”
Cuomo, along with several employees of the state’s economic development agency, violated the Hatch Act, a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) says, by running the commercials that “mention North Carolina and its leadership in a transparent attempt to criticize, interfere and affect” the state’s elections.
New Flush Target Ad screenshot
The ads reference North Carolina’s “transgender” bathroom law, along with other states’ policies, while a narrator states, “as some in America seem to be forgetting exactly what freedom means … ”
The OSC complaint says the ads go “beyond appropriate economic-development recruitment,” stating, “By using public funds to promote New York as supporting certain policies and implicitly criticizing contrary political decisions made in North Carolina, an ethical imitation has been breached.”
The commercials began airing in North Carolina in late June but have since been pulled.
Republican North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is up for re-election this fall, along with the state’s legislature, with McCrory facing the state’s Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper, who opposes this and other legislation preserving restroom access to a person’s natural gender.
Cuomo spokesman John Kelly called the complaints filed by Orr “frivolous,”according to the Wall Street Journal report, refusing to respond to their allegation of an effort by Cuomo’s office to influence North Carolina’s elections.
Kelly says the transgender bathroom issue as one of human rights, stating, “It would be funny if the issues we were actually talking about did not involve human rights and basic equality. New York welcomes everyone, everyone, who seeks to embrace freedom while pursuing their dreams.”
McCrory campaign spokesman Ricky Diaz said that “despite Gov. Cuomo’s efforts to trash North Carolina with boycotts and false ads, his residents continue to move here for lower taxes and job opportunities because New York is the second worst state for business while North Carolina is one of the best.”
Kelly responded that “the delusion of North Carolina’s leadership is boundless. We reject their sanctimonious discrimination.”
McCrory and the state of North Carolina acted to protect the privacy and security of the state’s residents by passing H.B. 2, the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act, earlier this year.
H.B. 2 was enacted in response to the city of Charlotte having passed a city ordinance requiring schools and private businesses to allow members of one biological sex to use the restrooms, showers and private facilities of the opposite sex.
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