Andrew Cuomo piled on Zohran Mamdani over the Democratic Socialists of America push to scrap all misdemeanor charges — and hit the far-left front-runner over his plan to decriminalize prostitution during Thursday night’s New York City mayoral debate.
“The worst thing that could happen is if the assemblyman’s proposal for legalizing prostitution went through,” Cuomo, the former governor running as an independent, said from 30 Rockefeller Center for the debate aired by WNBC.
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“That would be terrible for the quality of life,” Cuomo said.
“He also doesn’t want to enforce misdemeanor getting to that’s assault, larceny.”
Cuomo lambasted Mamdani for his policy proposal that would eliminate all misdemeanors. via REUTERS
Mamdani, the Democratic nominee — and a DSA member — has tried to distance himself from eliminating misdemeanors, a policy plank held by the far-left organization.
Whoever becomes mayor will have broad powers to direct the NYPD on which lesser crimes to enforce or not.
Mamdani — who has sponsored bills for the decriminalization of sex work as a state lawmaker — strongly pushed back as Cuomo repeatedly accused him during the WNBC debate of supporting “legalizing prostitution.”
“I want to be very clear, not only have I never called for the legalization of prostitution, I’m not calling for that today either,” the Queens pol insisted.
Mamdani has sponsored bills for the decriminalization of sex work. Getty Images
“And I also have never said anything about not enforcing misdemeanors,” he railed. “This is just yet another figment of Andrew Cuomo’s imagination.”
The democratic socialist has co-sponsored assembly bills such as “Cecilia’s Law” which would remove criminal penalties for engaging or purchasing sex work while keeping criminal penalties for trafficking.
“I want to be very clear, not only have I never called for the legalization of prostitution, I’m not calling for that today either,” the Queens pol insisted. For the New York Post
While Mamdani supported this legislation in the assembly, he was murky on the details on whether he supports loosening criminal penalties for Johns and Pimps rather than sex workers themselves, like his favorite Mayor Bill de Blasio once pushed for.
“I want to be very clear. Not only have I never called for the legalization of prostitution, I’m not calling for that today either,” he said during the debate.
The national DSA, which Mamdani has distanced himself from, has called for the elimination of all misdemeanors.
The local chapter of the socialist group has itself pushed to get rid of all petty crimes.