Cuomo investigation expanded amid reports of vaccine politicization

The investigation now includes reports that the New York Governor's COVID Czar allegedly brought up political loyalty when discussing vaccine rollout with executives across the state.

According to Fox News, "The New York State Attorney General’s office has expanded its sexual harassment investigation into Gov. Andrew Cuomo to include looking at whether one of the governor’s top advisers offered access to COVID vaccines for political connections."

The advisor in question is Larry Schwartz, Cuomo's COVID Czar, in charge of "overseeing vaccine distribution across New York." During six phone calls to executives regarding vaccine allocation, he is alleged to have "asked if they would be calling for the governor’s resignation."

At the time the calls where made, March 2021, allegations of sexual harassment were being made against Governor Cuomo.

Schwartz was hired as a volunteer to Cuomo's government, a title that until recently gave those bearing it no accountability. For all intents and purposes, volunteers were not treated as public servants, and thus did not have to adhere to the same transparency requirements as paid employees.

Former Cuomo staffer and sexual harassment accuser Lindsey Boylan accused Schwartz of "criminal abuse of power", calling the Cuomo administration "corrupt".

In late April, the New York State Senate voted to repeal certain executive orders issued by Governor Cuomo; one of which got rid of the distinction between volunteers and paid employees, treating both with the same standards when it comes to accountability and transparency.

Schwartz recently resigned from the Cuomo administration as a result of the Senate's repeals. As Fox News reports, "if Schwartz had stayed on in his position, he would have been banned from lobbying the Cuomo administration for two years after departing the administration."