New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is being 'pushed for the job' of Joe Biden's AG and the former VP 'may seriously consider him because of their decades-long friendship'
Joe Biden reportedly wants to make New York Governor Andrew Cuomo his Attorney General if he wins the November election.
Sources familiar with the situation have told Axios that the National Governors Association is looking into contingencies to replace Cuomo, 62, as chair because he would no longer be able to chair the organization if he becomes AG.
According to the report published Sunday afternoon, 'the governor is being pushed for the job and Biden would consider him based on their long friendship.'
Joe Biden reportedly wants Andrew Cuomo as AG if he wins the November election
They've known each other since the 1980s and an insider said Biden, 77, sees himself in Cuomo, 62. Pictured, Biden and Cuomo attend a political rally announcing their support to raise the minimum wage for the state of New York to $15 per hour on September 10, 2015
Biden, 77, has been friends with the Cuomos for decades and has known the governor since the 1980s when Cuomo's father Mario was the Governor.
Cuomo – who previously served as New York's AG – strengthened his bond with Biden when he served as secretary of Housing and Urban Development as part of the Bill Clinton Cabinet, and as they worked on reconstruction after Hurricane Sandy.
One insider told Axios that Biden sees himself in Cuomo. 'When one of them needs something, it's automatic,' a source said. 'It's not a calculation.'
However Cuomo's senior adviser played down the rumor.
'100% he's made zero outreach, has had zero conversations about this and has made his desire to stay in New York clear as day and be governor as long as people want him,' Richard Azzopardi told Axios.
The National Governors Association is reportedly looking into contingencies to replace Cuomo as chair because he wouldn't be able to keep the role as AG. Biden and Cuomo attend the Help USA 30th Anniversary Luncheon at The Plaza Hotel on March 16, 2017
However Cuomo's senior adviser played down the rumor and said Cuomo has 'had zero conversations about this and has made his desire to stay... clear as day.' They are pictured with US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Jill Biden (second from left) at the 19th commemoration ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York
The publication notes that with pressure for Biden to put together a cabinet that's diverse in both ethnicity and gender, former acting AG Sally Yates or Stacey Abrams might be likely candidates.
The AG would respond to issues such as police brutality, systemic racism issues and social unrest.
They would also be able to use federal powers against state restrictions on women's health issues such as pregnancy terminations.
If President Donald Trump is voted out of office the next AG may also have to lead the Department of Justice in investigating possible wrongdoing by Trump and his officials.
A special counsel's investigation, concluded in April 2019, into whether Trump and his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia stopped short of accusing the president of committing a crime.
The publication notes that with pressure for Biden to put together a cabinet that's gender diverse, former acting AG Sally Yates might be a likely candidate
Stacey Abrams could be up for the job. The Georgia state Rep. speaks at Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church as former Vice President Joe Biden, right, looks on, March 1 in Selma, Alabama
Trump currently has the DOJ looking into the origins of the Russia investigation that consumed two years of his presidency. He said on Friday it was a 'disgrace' that a review would not be ready before the election.
U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, a Trump appointee and close ally of the president, is said to have told Senate Republicans that the review is unlikely to be completed before the vote.
Trump has been pushing for the investigation to move forward more quickly to give him a boost among his base of supporters.
Trump has said repeatedly he believes the investigation into the origins of the Russia probe would lead to evidence that the administration of his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama, abused power by looking into whether Trump sought help from Russia in 2016.
The investigation is led by U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut.