Poll: New York Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Popularity Plunges amid Corruption Probe

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s popularity in the Empire State is plunging as his former top aide is on trial for alleged federal corruption, according to a Siena College poll released Monday.

The poll showed that the two-term Democrat governor’s favorability and job approval ratings took a nosedive between January and February, the New York Post reported.

Of the registered voters surveyed, 40 percent had a negative view of the New York governor—a ten percent increase from January when 30 percent viewed the governor in a negative light, according to the poll.

The survey also found that Cuomo’s favorability rating dropped from 62 percent last month to 53 percent this month.

More than half of registered voters—53 percent—thought Cuomo’s job performance was fair or poor, while 45 percent rated his performance as good or excellent in this month’s poll—a five percent decrease from the previous month’s survey.

“After hitting his second-term high favorability rating last month, Governor Cuomo’s favorability, job performance and re-elect ratings all hit significant speed bumps this month,” said Siena College pollster Steve Greenberg.

Greenberg added that Cuomo’s popularity dropped even as New York voters supported his policy proposals because of the corruption trial.

“Of course, much of what Cuomo has been talking about over the last several weeks has been overshadowed by the ongoing coverage of the federal corruption trial in Manhattan, in which the governor has been featured prominently,” Greenberg said.

Cuomo former aide Joe Percoco is on trial for alleged involvement in a pay-to-play corruption scheme with contractors doing business with, or looking to do business with, the state.

As Cuomo’s popularity is sagging with voters, the New York Democrat governor has found ways to push back against President Trump’s policies—specifically tax reform and immigration.

Cuomo decried Trump’s tax cuts in a December interview with CNN, saying that capping state and local deductions would be bad for the economy.

Cuomo also pardoned illegal immigrants slated for deportation at the end of 2017 and proposed a plan that would give Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients free tuition at New York state colleges.