Gov. Andrew Cuomo Image by Getty Images

By Aiden Pink September 13, 2018

Top aides of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wrote and approved the state Democratic Party’s mailing that accused challenger Cynthia Nixon of being soft on anti-Semitism and supporting the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

Cuomo has denied that he had anything to do with the mailer, which went out to Jewish neighborhoods a few days before election day for his contentious primary. But sources told the Post that former top aide Larry Schwartz was “very involved” in the effort. Schwartz served as Cuomo’s secretary from 2011 to 2015, when he was appointed to the board of the MTA.

“We all know that Larry is the person closest to the governor and he doesn’t do anything without the Cuomos’ knowledge,” a source said. “It’s similar to a criminal cartel where they only communicate verbally to a handful of trusted people, of which Larry is one.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

A Cuomo campaign spokeswoman largely confirmed Schwartz’s involvement.

“Larry Schwartz who serves on our campaign in a volunteer capacity was reviewing mail pieces in an ad hoc fashion, but he only saw the positive section of the mailer and never saw the negative section,” spokeswoman Lis Smith told the Post. “Had he seen it, it would have never gone out.”

The mailer said that Nixon is “against funding for yeshivas,” supports BDS and has been “silent on the rise of anti-Semitism.”

Nixon, who is raising her children Jewish, called the mailer “disgusting and cynical” and “Trumpian.”

Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount