William O’Shaughnessy, the owner of a Westchester County radio station who was dubbed "Westchester's Radio Renaissance Man" some years back, has penned one of few written defenses of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and sent it off to the leaders in Washington. Seven women have now accused Cuomo of sexual harassment and lawmakers have called on him to resign.
In his letter, O’Shaughnessy suggests that the "attacks" on Gov. Cuomo can be explained by his opponents' lingering frustration over his late father Mario Cuomo's own leadership as governor.
"There is no question that many/most of the attacks on Andrew are motivated by the ambition and jealousy of his enemies, many of whom never forgave Mario for his views on abortion and capital Punishment," he alleges.
William O’Shaughnessy, the owner of a Westchester County radio station and a longtime admirer of Gov. Cuomo, has written character witness letters and sent them to President Biden, Speaker Pelosi pic.twitter.com/M5FSZC7hZb
— Nick Reisman (@NickReisman) March 16, 2021
"I've known Andrew for over 40 years," O’Shaughnessy writes. "And, tough and difficult as he can be in politics, I absolutely believe he is possessed of a good heart accompanied by a relentless dedication to good government."
Voices for Seniors, a group who has been casting much needed attention on the governor's nursing home scandal, made an observation about the first paragraph of O’Shaughnessy's letter, when he comments on Pelosi's physical appearance, recalling how she was a "beautiful, young congresswoman." Did he just undermine his own argument?
In the first paragraph he manages to sexually objectify Nancy Pelosi.
— VoicesForSeniors (@Voices4Seniors) March 16, 2021
Here’s a pro-tip: When acting as a character witness for a sexual predator, don’t act like a sexual predator yourself ???????
They're not the only ones who noticed.
In the first two paragraphs, this guy manages to be sexist toward the Speaker of the House and refer to the embattled sexual harasser governor as an "heir" to the position. I stopped after that. https://t.co/05R9oryxOv
— Ben K. (@bkabak) March 16, 2021
O’Shaughnessy sent a similar letter defending Cuomo's character to President Biden. Both letters were accompanied by a book he wrote about his friendship with Mario Cuomo.
In 2013, O’Shaughnessy had high hopes for Gov. Cuomo.
“I think Andrew has the equipment and brightness to be a great president. There is an innate goodness and decency in him.”