Andrew Cuomo will announce his candidacy for governor “right before” the Democratic nominating convention that begins May 25, The Post has learned.
Cuomo told aides over the weekend that due to the high-profile criminal and civil investigations of Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada (D-Bronx) that became public last week, he was shelving tentative plans to announce later this week right before a Waldorf-Astoria fund-raiser and a meeting of the Democratic Rural Conference.
“Andrew won’t be making any announcement until the Democratic convention,” said a source with firsthand knowledge of Cuomo’s thinking.
“Andrew thinks the politicization of government is killing Albany and feels strongly about keeping the two separate for as long as possible.
“He considered announcing this week, but eventually decided against doing so — a decision validated by the fact that some defendants are starting to claim that the cases against them are driven by politics,” the source said, referring to claims made by Espada.
A second source said Cuomo would make his announcement either on Tuesday, when the three-day Democratic convention begins at the Rye Town Hilton in Westchester, or “just a day or two” before.
Cuomo, who has no Democratic opponent for governor, accused Espada in a civil suit last week of looting his not-for-profit Soundview Health Clinic of some $14 million, including a breathtaking $9 million personal severance package.
A day later, Espada’s clinic was raided by federal and state authorities and law-enforcement sources said criminal charges of mail fraud and tax evasion were expected as soon as next month.
Espada bitterly claimed that Cuomo’s action was connected to his plans to run for governor, but offered no proof.
