In a battle for the gubernatorial post, GOP representative Rob Astorino and New York's Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo exchanged sharp allegations on corruption and racism in an hour-long debate live on Buffalo News Wednesday night.

Minority bets Howie Hawkins from Green Party and Libertarian Michael McDermott joined Astorino and Cuomo in the debate two weeks before the midterm elections.

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Astorino, 47, immediately attacked Cuomo with a political scandal that led to a federal investigation.  The radio host and program director for Catholic Channel on SIRIUS Satellite Radio added that his opponent was "swimming on a cesspool of corruption."

Astorino even predisposed that Cuomo could be found guilty of current accusations after the Election Day, which may prompt him to tamper evidence and witness statements.

A case in point is the controversial Moreland Commission scandal involving Cuomo and his anti-corruption executive director Regina Calcaterra.  Among the alleged offenses is the US$175,000 annual salary that Calcaterra received from the governor's office even after Moreland was disbanded.

Calcaterra was used to block a court subpoena in favor of the governor, a New York Times source said.  Calceterra's recent appointment to a low-profile security agency could be Cuomo's tactic to prevent her further involvement on the case, Astorino added.

Cuomo did not directly address his opponent's banter but called the accusations "outrageous".  The NYC governor, who is running for his second term, continually defended his organization and denied allegations about Calcaterra.

The governor then slammed Astorino on issues of unequal housing policies in Westchester, adding that the Republicans are the ones who have a long standing offense with the authorities.  Astorino tagged the accusations as "despicable," saying Cuomo has no idea about the issue at hand.

Cuomo cited improvements in NYC such as lower business and individual taxes and additional 500,000 jobs this year, but Astorino insisted that these are only cover-ups for the corruption under the governor's administration.

As the debate went into closing, Hawkins pitched his platform called the "Green New Deal," which includes increased minimum wage, hydraulic fracturing ban, and single payer reform in healthcare. 

Meanwhile, McDermott appealed that NYC's present-day problems are due to clashes between Republicans and Democrats. He urged the voters to instill change by choosing Libertarians.

TagsGOP, Rob Astorino, Andrew Cuomo, live debate, NYC, midterm elections, Democrats, Republicans, U.S. elections