Ex-N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo joins Republicans in demanding answers over FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday joined Republicans in demanding answers about federal agents’ blockbuster search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

Breaking with fellow Democrats, Cuomo said the Department of Justice “must immediately explain” why it carried out the search or risk undermining its myriad probes of Trump.

[ Trump says FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, blasts move as ‘not necessary or appropriate’ ]

“It will be viewed as a political tactic and undermine any future credible investigation & legitimacy of January 6 investigations,” Cuomo tweeted.

Cuomo suggested that the search may have been for “inconsequential archives,” without elaborating. Previous cases of mishandling classified documents involved handing over the information to third parties or otherwise endangering national security.

Asked how the documents ended up at Mar-a-Lago, Eric Trump told the Associated Press said the boxes were among items that got moved out of the White House during “six hours” on Inauguration Day, as the Bidens prepared to move into the building.

“My father always kept press clippings,” Eric Trump said. “He had boxes, when he moved out of the White House.”

[ Rudy Giuliani slams FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago as ‘fascist police state’ tactic ]

Cuomo won wide acclaim for his strong leadership of New York state during the dreadful early days of the COVID pandemic in 2020, even winning an Emmy for his daily televised briefings.

Nearly a year later, Cuomo announced his resignation on Aug. 10, 2021, in the face of potential impeachment and escalating political pressure over allegations that he sexually harassed nearly a dozen women, marking a stunning downfall for one of the most prominent Democrats in the country.

In a live-streamed speech from his Manhattan office, the then-governor acknowledged for the first time that he “deeply offended” all of his 11 accusers. He said the only politically salient move for him is to step aside and let New York regain its focus on pandemic recovery and other pressing matters.

Rita Glavin, his lawyer, said that the Assembly had failed to provide Cuomo access to all the evidence and claimed that he was denied “due process and a meaningful ability to respond.”

[ Cuomo confirms not running against state A.G. James, will address allegations against him ‘soon’ ]

Despite being a lifelong Democrat, it’s not the first time Cuomo has sided with Republicans. Under his leadership, a group of Trump Democrats in the New York state Senate sided with the GOP, giving Republicans effective veto power over most policy decisions for years.

Democratic voters eventually ousted most of the rebel lawmakers, winning control over the Senate for the majority party and forcing Cuomo to take more popular stands on issues from marijuana legalization to tenants’ rights.