Updated: 3/15/21 - 4:30 P.M.
VESTAL, NY (WSKG) - Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said he has not been asked to pledge loyalty to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in exchange for favorable treatment during the COVID-19 crisis.*
This comes after weekend reports in the New York Times and the Washington Post, where unnamed county executives said they were called by Larry Schwartz, who is helping lead the state's vaccination effort. Allegedly, Schwartz wanted to gauge their loyalty to Cuomo amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Schwartz denied the allegations.
“During the last year of the pandemic I have had hundreds of phone calls with state officials, including Larry Schwartz, working with them to coordinate the response to COVID-19," Garnar said. "At no time did any state official ask for my support for the governor in exchange for help with the pandemic.”
Garnar, a Democrat, is currently under mandatory quarantine due to an exposure to COVID-19.
*This story has been adjusted for clarity