Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa on Wednesday accused rival Andrew Cuomo of trying to bribe him out of the race, saying several billionaires allied with the former New York governor approached him with offers of cash or a job if he would help clear the field.

Cuomo quickly denied the bombshell charge, while Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani seized on Sliwa's accusation to attack Cuomo.

What You Need To Know

Curtis Sliwa accused opponent Andrew Cuomo of convincing some billionaires to dangle cash bribes and job offers to Sliwa in order to get him out of the mayoral contest, as part of a continued effort to gang up on frontrunner Zohran Mamdani

Cuomo quickly denied the bombshell charge, while Mamdani seized on Sliwa's accusation to attack the former New York governor

Meanwhile, ahead of rallying with nurses outside the Bronx’s St. Barnabas Hospital against upcoming federal health care cuts, Mamdani spoke to former Vice President Kamala Harris on the phone about his affordability agenda for around 10 minutes

“What you’ve done is not only unethical, it’s illegal,” Sliwa said during a press conference on the Upper West Side.

“Seven offers so far to give me more money than my father and I ever made in a lifetime of work,” he added, accusing opponent Cuomo of convincing some billionaires to dangle cash bribes and job offers to him in order to get him out of the mayoral contest, as part of a continued effort to gang up on frontrunner Mamdani.

"You call me from now on, remember this is a one-party state, New York, I can tape your conversation. Stop it. End it. Cuomo is behind it. He needs to get out and campaign,” he said, warning those who might be next in line to offer him an out.

Sliwa told NY1 he has no plans to file a formal complaint with the city's Campaign Finance Board. Instead, he issued his own warning.

“I don't trust the billionaires. So let me put you on blast. You call me, you try to bribe me, first of all it's unethical, it's illegal. I will tape your conversations, I will report it to the proper authorities, and I hope you go to jail,” he said.

Cuomo, meanwhile, denied the accusations through a spokesman in a statement.

"Curtis Sliwa is a liar and a fraudster, who has admitted to faking crimes for publicity and last night they actually tried to get us to join one of their cheap stunts. This is more of the same,” said campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi.

Mayor Eric Adams also chimed, in saying: "While Curtis spins conspiracy theories, I am focused on delivering results for New Yorkers."

Not surprisingly, Mamdani sided with the Republican.

“Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams and Curtis Sliwa? I trust Curtis the most,” he told reporters during an unrelated press conference in the West Bronx.

He says the accusations help link Cuomo and Adams to the White House.

“New Yorkers deserve to make their own decision about who should lead the city. To have Donald Trump work with billionaire donors and a number of others to influence this race,” Mamdani said.

"Let our democracy be something determined by the people of the city,” he added. "I appreciate Sliwa despite disagreements and space between policy proposals. He cares more about this city than what the billionaires want him to do."

Meanwhile, ahead of rallying with nurses outside the Bronx’s St. Barnabas Hospital against upcoming federal health care cuts, Mamdani spoke to former Vice President Kamala Harris on the phone about his affordability agenda for around 10 minutes.

His spokesman said Harris “reaffirmed her support for his candidacy.”