As the issue of family separations continues to boil around the U.S.-Mexico border, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is wasting no time taking advantage of the situation.
In the past few days, Dutchess County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro, who is challenging Cuomo in his bid for a third term in office, has called the governor out on Twitter for using the hot topic as a tool for fundraising.
Molinaro took a screengrab from Cuomo’s campaign website (which this reporter has confirmed as valid) to highlight the governor’s action.
“If you really have compassion for these children, Gov. Cuomo,” Molinaro said in a tweet, “stop raising money off of them.”
“This policy needs to end -- and so does the exploitive fundraising.”
If you really have compassion for these children, Gov. Cuomo, stop raising money off of them. This policy needs to end -- and so does the exploitive fundraising. pic.twitter.com/6vIuCMM2s2
— Marc Molinaro (@marcmolinaro) June 21, 2018
Molinaro has reiterated this message through several tweets sent over the past few days, occasionally highlighting what the governor is ignoring as he tries to get publicity over the children at the border.
No. No I am not. And I also find it disgusting that the Governor is fundraising off their heartbreaking stories - while his Administration leaves those severely mentally ill in jails across NY, those w/ developmental disabilities in homeless shelters...
— Marc Molinaro (@marcmolinaro) June 22, 2018
This comes as Cuomo has been making the rounds on national cable news networks, appearing on CNN and MSNBC in the last 24 hours to condemn President Trump and his administration’s border policy, while also threating a lawsuit and characterizing his executive order from Wednesday as weak. Likewise, in response to Cuomo’s appearance on AC360 with Anderson Cooper, Molinaro has criticized the CNN anchor for not asking the governor about his fundraising tactics.
@andersoncooper Wish you could ask about the Governor’s fundraising off the tragic stories of these kids. pic.twitter.com/IKQhPaIhR3
— Marc Molinaro (@marcmolinaro) June 22, 2018
The Governor is in the middle of an unexpectedly challenging re-election campaign, with two candidates who could be on the November ballot campaigning from his left flank while a consensus-building Republican looks to pull an upset in the midst of a blue wave.