Curtis Sliwa says he was offered bribe to drop out of NYC mayoral race and threatens to name names
New York, New York - Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa said he has been offered big money to drop out of the New York City mayoral race.
Sliwa told NBC New York on Wednesday that wealthy donors to other candidates have approached him and offered him money to abandon his campaign.
"I am not leaving this race. And billionaires out there: you keep offering me millions. I'm going to start taping these conversations," the Guardian Angels founder warned.
"First of all, it's unethical. It's illegal. It's a bribe," Sliwa said of the alleged offers.
"Stop the bribery. I'm not dropping out," he added.
Sliwa did not say who had approached him, but his comments suggest he could start naming names if the calls don't stop.
After the remarks, a spokesperson for former Governor Andrew Cuomo called the Republican candidate "a liar and a fraudster, who has admitted to faking crimes for publicity."
A super PAC supporting Cuomo's independent candidacy has raked in huge donations from billionaires who see the ex-governor as their best chance of defeating first-place contender Zohran Mamdani.
Zohran Mamdani responds to Curtis Sliwa comments
Mamdani's progressive platform has sparked panic among the wealthy and powerful.
Since his electrifying Democratic primary win in June, bombshell reports have come out indicating that people close to Donald Trump had discussed offering jobs in the administration to incumbent Mayor Eric Adams and Sliwa if they exited the race.
The president's advisers hoped by doing so to boost Cuomo's chances of defeating Mamdani.
Meanwhile, many top Democrats have been slow to back their party nominee, even amid direct attacks by Trump.
Recent polling data show Mamdani with a clear lead in race, though his odds of winning become much tighter in a two-way battle with Cuomo.
Asked about Sliwa's remarks on Wednesday, Mamdani said, "I can tell you that of Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams, and Curtis Sliwa, I trust Curtis Sliwa's word the most."
"I think it speaks to the fact that New Yorkers deserve to make their own decision as to who should lead this city," the 33-year-old state assembly member added.
The New York City mayoral election is just weeks away, with voters set to hit the polls on November 4.
Cover photo: ANGELA WEISS / AFP