*By Amanda Weston*
A report released this week claiming that New York gubernatorial incumbent Andrew Cuomo accepted more donations from the cannabis industry than his re-election campaign disclosed has raised some eyebrows about the Democrat's views on marijuana.
"Cuomo's not coming out in full force of endorsing legalization," said Alyson Martin, co-founder of CannabisWire, the publication that released the report. "But he is accepting money from the cannabis industry and from big players in the cannabis industry."
Cuomo has been [notoriously inconsistent](https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/politics/albany/2018/05/25/andrew-cuomo-marijuana-timeline/632312002/) about his position on pot. He once called it a "gateway drug," but has also said that medicinal marijuana may be [acceptable](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/13/nyregion/marijuana-new-york-cuomo-legalization.html) in some cases.
But CannabisWire will continue to follow Cuomo's money, Martin said.
"Part of the reason that CannabisWire is looking into the flow of money from the Cannabis industry to political candidates is because, as we all know, elected officials may say one thing but the money tells another story."
[The site reported](https://cannabiswire.com/2018/08/29/cannabis-in-the-ny-governors-race-big-donations-and-a-big-debate/) that Cuomo accepted about $150,000 from large cannabis companies. CannabisWire found a $50,000 donation linked to a non-profit Christian mission actually came from MedMen, a cannabis company, meaning the sum wasn't properly attributed to its real source in Cuomo's disclosure. The company later claimed the incorrect listing was a clerical error.
Whether the news will actually sway Cuomo's chances against political newcomer Cynthia Nixon, though, is unclear.
The actress and activist has been a strong advocate of legalizing marijuana. She, like many other liberals, considers it a racial justice issue, since [more people of color](https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2018/02/13/racial-disparities-continue-in-new-york-city-marijuana-arrests-248896) are arrested for marijuana offenses than Caucasians.
Cuomo admitted during the televised gubernatorial debate on Wednesday that he believes the benefits of legalization outweigh the risks but was not as forceful as Nixon.
But Martin thinks his donors are hoping he'll eventually become a proponent for cannabis legalization .
"I certainly think that it's a strong shove in that direction," Martin said. "These are not the mom-and-pop companies that are supporting candidates. These are bigger companies."
Cuomo's campaign did not respond to CannabisWire's request for comment. Martin doesn't think the Governor has violated campaign finance laws, but her outlet is continuing its investigation.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/cannabis-disclosures-play-into-new-york-governor-race).
The battle of the billionaires may be heating up ahead of the 2020 presidential race, as former mayor and media mogul Michael Bloomberg took a swipe at ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz after he announced a potential run for president as an independent during an interview on "60 Minutes" Sunday. The two billionaires are looking in part to capitalize on their corporate success to gain an edge against President Trump, who leveraged his business career to gain the presidency. "Anything is really possible at this point, and you don't want to ignore a white billionaire announcing a candidacy for president," Julia Manchester, reporter at The Hill, told Cheddar Monday. "We saw it happen in 2015 and \[Trump]\ won."
The U.S. Treasury on Monday announced sanctions against Venezuela's state-owned oil firm in an effort to undermine incumbent president Nicolás Maduro and reinforce support for interim president Juan Guaidó. Brett Bruen, a former diplomat and director of global engagement under President Obama, called the administration's decision a "rare bright spot" in Trump's foreign policy. "The Trump administration is holding firm to defend democracy, they are standing up for human rights, they are standing up for the rule of law," Bruen told Cheddar Monday.
Trump's political calculus to appeal to his base ー an older, whiter, more conservative demographic ー is coming at the expense of his popularity among millennials, said Kristen Soltis Anderson, a Republican pollster and author of "The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America." That poses a problem for the GOP as it seeks to broaden its tent in anticipation of a future when Donald Trump is not on the ballot.
Tax filing season is officially upon us, just as the IRS returns to full strength following the five-week government shutdown. But tax filers should expect some turbulence along the way, said Nicole Kaeding, director of federal projects at the Tax Foundation, a tax policy think tank.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, Jan. 28, 2019.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
President Trump announced on Friday that he reached a tentative deal with Democrats to reopen the government temporarily while the two sides continue to negotiate on border security. The continuing resolution would fund the government at current levels for three weeks, until Feb. 15. While Trump framed the deal as a victory, he was essentially agreeing to the same proposal that was offered by Democrats before the shutdown, which he had rejected.
President Trump's longtime ally Roger Stone was arrested Friday in connection with Robert Mueller's Russia probe. The FAA reported delays at several major airports across the U.S. because of an increase in employees taking sick leave at air traffic control centers. And Lois Backon, head of Corporate Partner Marketing for JPMorgan Chase, tells Cheddar how the bank partners with celebrities to share their financial planning tips.
Early Friday morning, FBI agents in riot gear arrested Roger Stone, a longtime Trump adviser, at his Florida home. He was charged with five counts of making false statements, one count of witness tampering and one count of obstruction, related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the election.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, Jan. 25, 2019.
