While Andrew Cuomo projected calm during his daily public briefings, with thousands dying as the virus ravaged New York City, public health officials were forced to find ways to work around him
, paint a picture of an administration in chaos at the height of the emergency, with political appointees and public health professionals frequently at war over decisions and messaging. As Cuomo projected calm during his daily public briefings, with thousands dying as the virus ravaged New York City, public health officials were forced to find ways to work around him.
In a statement to POLITICO, a spokesperson for the former governor, Rich Azzopardi, defended the administration's pandemic response and was dismissive of the Assembly and attorney general’s inquiries, saying one key source offered “second- or third-hand interpretations.” Cuomo, the spokesperson said, “pushed back against the bureaucracy.
In this May 27, 2021 file photo, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo discusses the wearing of masks as he speaks at a news conference. | Mark Lennihan/AP Photo For example, the department would conduct daily surveys of nursing homes and other facilities to see what PPE was needed and assemble packages to be sent from the state’s warehouse. At one point, Larry Schwartz — a longtime Cuomo ally and former secretary to the governor who was, at the time, a C-suite executive at airport vendor OTG — had to sign off on those requests and at times questioned the need for them, the former staffer said.
“Data was not ready to be shared in a manner that would be ethical or appropriate,” she told investigators of the Hydroxychloroquine request. But the governor’s office insisted the department share the incomplete data, Dufort said. She said she was prepared to resign rather than hand over the information.
The endeavor “diverted people’s attention to service the press conference instead of servicing the running of the state,” the former Department of Health staffer said. “It became more about the press conference and about the issue that he was talking about at the press conference.”
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