Griffo asks District Attorneys to investigate vaccine registration

New York State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-I-C-Rome, today requested that Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara and St. Lawrence County District Attorney Gary Pasqua further investigate the posting of a link that allowed New Yorkers to make appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Utica, Potsdam and elsewhere in the state.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration recently indicated that the unauthorized early posting of the link was due to a hack, leak or fraudulent activity. 

“If what happened is a crime, as the Governor and his administration have noted, then it should be investigated further,” Sen. Griffo said. “The Governor likes to use competition as a way to reward people and communities. However, the state’s rollout of the vaccine is the new Hunger Games. It has caused people to compete with one another for spots in line with the most tech-savvy having an advantage and those most in need being abandoned. Now is not the time to utilize this type of process, especially when the lives of our elderly and New Yorkers are on the line. Taking care of our most vulnerable and underserved populations should be prioritized.”

Both McNamara and Pasqua have expressed a willingness to undertake a review of the matter and potentially open a case.

“The coronavirus vaccine has provided New Yorkers and Americans with a glimmer of hope as we continue to confront this public health crisis,” McNamara said. “We must ensure that all people have access to the COVID-19 vaccine and are treated fairly. Any potential criminal acts related to the vaccine’s rollout must be addressed.”

“Many New Yorkers are relying on the COVID-19 vaccine to help them get through these challenging times and to bring back normalcy to their lives,” Pasqua said. “If criminal activity
related to the state’s delivery of the vaccine did take place, then it must be investigated and dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.”
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