Larry Schwartz, a longtime adviser to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) who is serving in a volunteer capacity as the state's COVID-19 vaccine czar, made some calls to New York county officials last week that led at least a few of them to worry about their jurisdiction's vaccine supply, The Washington Post reports.
Cuomo is under investigation and facing calls to resign after a series of allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior toward women in recent weeks, and Schwartz, who has earned a reputation as the governor's enforcer, acknowledged calling the officials to get a sense of where they stood on the matter. He claims he did so in a role that was distinct from his vaccine duties, and two officials did tell the Post they didn't consider the calls a threat. However, they said they understood why others were unsettled by the exchanges. Per The New York Times, one official said Schwartz did indeed pivot directly from Cuomo's political situation to a discussion about vaccine distribution.
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