NYC mayoral candidate Maya Wiley stands by call for Scott Stringer to drop out of race
Maya Wiley on Wednesday repeated her demand for Comptroller Scott Stringer to drop out of the race.
“I stand by my call, both where Gov. Cuomo is involved and also with regard to Scott Stringer,” the Democratic mayoral candidate said at a press conference on state sexual assault legislation.
Wiley was one of many politicians to call on Stringer to drop out after he was accused in April of abusing a past campaign volunteer and pressuring her for sex. Stringer has strongly denied the allegations.
Numerous elected officials and progressive groups have taken back their endorsements of Stringer, though he’s vowed to keep campaigning and continues to get invited to debates and other events for candidates.
“I’m going to focus on the issues in this race,” Wiley said. “The city ... needs to throw all of its weight, all of our weight, to getting the change we need in Albany.”
Wiley, a former top legal aide to Mayor de Blasio, previously called on Cuomo to resign over a series of sexual misconduct allegations, though the governor has denied them, too.
On Wednesday, she joined victims of disgraced former Columbia University gynecologist Robert Hadden to call on Albany to pass the Adult Survivors Act. The legislation applies to victims currently unable to seek justice because the crimes took place too long ago. If the law passes, survivors would get a one-year window to bring civil suits.
A recent spike in shootings, hate crimes and attacks on the subway has taken center stage in this year’s mayoral race.
But asked whether the race is focused enough on sexual abuse and the justice system’s handling of it, Wiley said no.
“It’s definitely not being discussed enough,” the candidate said.
“This is a race in which the next mayor must stand up and say, not only is it a job protecting every last one of our people; it’s about holding all of our institutions accountable for that protection,” she added.
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