Common Cause/NY Responds to Vaccine Czar Larry Schwartz Making Political Phone Calls for Gov. Cuomo

NEW YORK, NY (03/15/2021) (readMedia)-- Today, in response to news that Larry Schwartz, the vaccine czar and longtime former aide to Governor Cuomo, is making political phone calls for Governor Cuomo, Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY put out the following statement:

"Governor Cuomo invited his former advisors to assist in the pandemic response, circumventing direct conflicts of interest by bringing them on as volunteers rather than paid employees. However, it's been over a year now, and there's no longer an emergency to justify publicly unaccountable advisors operating with the full authority of the state; especially when those advisors, like Larry Schwartz, are valued primarily for their loyalty rather than any public health expertise. It's time to repeal the executive order No. 202.6 suspending a part of the Public Officers Law that allows the state to 'hire or engage anyone in a volunteer capacity,' during the pandemic."