Zohran Mamdani takes Andrew Cuomo war to the next level — attempting to link rival with Jeffrey Epstein
By Carl Campanile
Mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani is going nuclear on rival Andrew Cuomo — attempting to link the ex-governor to Jeffrey Epstein in a new scorched-earth campaign video.
In the 90-second, TikTok-style spot, Mamdani, looking into the camera, demands that Cuomo release his list of consulting clients, noting the ex-gov once worked on a luxury marina project with a pal, Andrew Farkas, whose former business partner was Epstein.
“In June, the New York Times found out that Cuomo worked with his longtime friend Andrew Farkas on a luxury marina project in Puerto Rico. Farkas’ previous partner on Caribbean luxury marinas was none other than Jeffrey Epstein,” Mamdani says.
Zohran Mamdani mentions Andrew Cuomo in same breath as Jeffrey Epstein in new video.
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Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani released a scathing new attack ad against his rival former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
YouTube/@ZohranforNYC
Former governor and current candidate for New York City mayor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a press conference in New York, New York, USA, 07 August 2025.
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The video lists a number of alleged scandals involving the ex-governor — even trying to link him to Jeffrey Epstein.
SARAH YENESEL/EPA/Shutterstock
The mudslinging from Mamdani comes days after Cuomo hammered the socialist for snagging a $2,300, rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria despite his family’s apparent wealth. Cuomo even proposed “Zohran’s Law” to prevent well-to-do residents from obtaining rent-restricted apartments.
The new spot starts with Mamdani noting that Cuomo “resigned in disgrace and you probably know why” — then shows footage and articles about women who accused the then-gov of sexual misconduct and the controversy surrounding his nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Democratic mayoral nominee demands that Cuomo release the list of clients from Innovative Strategies LLC, the consulting firm he launched in 2022 after he exited the governor’s office.
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Mamdani gripes in the video that Cuomo has not divulged who paid him.
But published reports have said Cuomo worked for a crypto currency exchange based in the Seychelles that eventually pleaded guilty to operating illegally in the US.
The Democratic socialist Queens assemblyman also notes that Cuomo did not initially disclose $2.6 million in stock options from a nuclear company to the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board.
This March 28, 2017, file photo, provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein.
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The ad mentions that Cuomo worked on a luxury marina project in Puerto Rico with friend Andrew Farkas — who was a business partner with Epstein.
New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP
Bloomberg article about Jeffrey Epstein's dealings with a New York property tycoon, alongside an aerial view of a coastal property.
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Mamdani’s ad highlights a Bloomberg article showing a link between Epstein and Farkas.
YouTube/@ZohranforNYC
“His excuse? The stocks were technically owned by Innovation Strategies LLC — where Cuomo is the sole member,” Mamdani says.
“That’s the thing about Andrew Cuomo: Once you think you’ve learned all the scandals, you find out there’s another. And another. And another. “
Cuomo can clear the air, Mamdani says, adding: “Habibi — release your client list.”
Image of Andrew Cuomo with a superimposed photo of him with other people.
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A photo of Cuomo with Farkas shown in the Mamdani ad.
YouTube/@ZohranforNYC
A rep for Cuomo gleefully responded that they could “smell the desperation from conspiracy peddling” in Mamdani’s attack.
“He [Cuomo] didn’t know Epstein, but you can smell the desperation from conspiracy-peddling Zohran seeping through your screen,” said Cuomo campaign spokesman Richard Azzopardi.
The former governor — who is running as an independent in the November election after getting soundly bested by Mamdani in the Democratic primary — also has vehemently denied he sexually harassed anyone.
Mamdani also bashed Cuomo over his COVID-19 book scandal.
YouTube/@ZohranforNYC
One campaign strategist said Mamdani’s ad was a “gutsy move” — and likely a response to Cuomo scoring points by hitting him for his rent-stabilized apartment.
“It’s a gutsy move. Mamdani is defining Cuomo to general election voters on his terms,” said O’Brien “OB” Murray, who has run campaigns for Republicans and Democrats.
He said Mamdani is not leaving it to campaign surrogates to do the dirty work and is willing to go toe to toe with Cuomo.
Zohran Mamdani mentions Andrew Cuomo in same breath as Jeffrey Epstein in new video.
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Mamdani also took a shot at Cuomo’s performance in the city’s Democratic mayoral primary.
YouTube/@ZohranforNYC
“It’s a page out of Donald Trump’s playbook. When the candidates say something about an opponent, voters pay attention to it,” Murray said.
But Mamdani risks “tarnishing” his image by getting in the mud with Cuomo, even if he wants to keep the focus on the ex-gov’s past scandals, said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist University Institute for Public Opinion.
“The Cuomo people are probably happy to draw a response. They want to engage Mamdani,” Miringoff said.
“Zohran risks tarnishing his image.”
Zohran Mamdani mentions Andrew Cuomo in same breath as Jeffrey Epstein in new video.
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Mamdani called on Cuomo to release the list of clients involved with his consulting firm Innovative Strategies LLC.
YouTube/@ZohranforNYC
Azzopardi dismissed the video as “nothing more than a temper tantrum from an insecure child of privilege who knows his tenuous lead is slipping away.”
He said the project in question with Farkas never got off the ground, and in regards to his consultancy business, Cuomo does not comment on those “private client matters” and has not represented anyone with business before a New York city or state agency.
Azzopardi also said the stock options were publicly disclosed in Federal Communication Commission files for years.
“There was a question about if and how they were required to be disclosed on city filings, which, after consulting with the Conflict of Interest board, we corrected the same day the matter was brought to our attention,” the Cuomo rep said.
“Try as he might, Zohran can’t distract from the rank hypocrisy of growing up wealthy, owning hundreds of thousands of dollars of land in a country that has the death penalty for LGBTQIA people and making more than $140K a year for a job he doesn’t show up to while taking a rent-stabilized apartment meant for a working New Yorker, not to mention his flip-flopping on the defund the police and supporting pro-Hamas criminals like the Holy Land Five,” Azzopardi said.
“He’s a total fraud and with every passing day, New Yorkers see it.”
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