New York lawmakers are asking the wrong group to revoke Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Emmy

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Several New York lawmakers want the Emmy to be awarded to New York Gov. Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoFeds Examines Cuomo’s Approach to Nursing Home Outbreaks Overnight Health Care: Biden Officials Announce Funding to Detect Virus Variants | Senate Dems announces public option proposal | White House: Teacher Vaccinations Not Required For Schools To Reopen New York State Legislature, Claims Cuomo Threatened Him: ‘He Can Destroy Me’‘s (D) for its COVID-19 press conferences was withdrawn, but sent their request to the wrong organization.

Assemblyman Chris Tague spearheaded the effort and was the first of 20 Republicans to sign a letter sent to the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences requesting the withdrawal of the Emmy Cuomo awarded last November. Tague said no Democrats were part of the effort, and he was unaware of any similar actions by New York state senators.

“I hope you’ll leave the Emmy [Cuomo] was given for these briefings to show him and the public the actions he took to try to disguise [sic] one of the most dire tragedies our state has experienced will not remain without consequences, ”Wednesday’s letter stated in part.

However, the letter was sent to the wrong organization. The assembly members addressed it to Adam Sharp, the president and CEO of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, or NATAS.

But Cuomo’s Emmy was awarded by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, or IATAS, a separate group. IATAS did not immediately comment on the letter, which Tague said was his idea. But an official at NATAS confirmed that the group had nothing to do with Cuomo’s Emmy.

Tague was unimpressed with the error.

“I didn’t know there was a difference,” said Tague. ‘When we find out it was the international [group] instead of nationally, we will also send the same letter to those people. To me, I just don’t understand why someone who is a civil servant doing their job, why they should be rewarded with something that we give to actors and actresses. “

In the statement accompanying the award last November, Cuomo was credited with those briefings, particularly his “masterful use of television to educate and appease people around the world” during the spread of COVID-19 in New York, which included some of the the worst effects. of the pandemic.

When the award was announced, Tague described it as a low-profile political stunt intended to boost Cuomo’s national exposure.

“I didn’t think he deserved an Emmy,” Tague said at the time. “But I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

But in light of the revelations that Cuomo’s government has downplayed the magnitude of outbreaks in the state’s nursing homes – and is now being investigated by federal authorities to address the crisis – Tague now says, “I think it’s a big deal. “

“We are now finding that some of the information discussed in his briefings could be discredited,” added Tague. And why would we give someone celebrity status or make them known for hiding something: the deaths of 15,000 New Yorkers. Which, I think, the number is likely to be higher once we get things straight. “

A Cuomo spokesperson described the letter as a waste of time, as New York City is still dealing with the pandemic.

“While these politicians may have enough free time to write stormy letters and issue selfish press releases, our focus remains fully on vaccinating as many people as humanly possible and running the state through this public health crisis,” said Jack. Sterne, an administration spokesperson, said in an emailed statement. “New Yorkers have seen the governor show up and fight for them every day for nearly a year, which is why they support his actions to defeat COVID-19 by a wide margin.”

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