Cuomo Decision to Centralize Control of NY’s COVID-19 Response Was Mistake: Audit

The review was commissioned by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo following a closed-door interview with the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Coronavirus Pandemic on Capitol Hill, on June 11, 2024. Al Drago/Getty Images

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s centralized control of the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was a “significant and obvious mistake,” according to an audit commissioned by his successor.

Existing structures were “were largely ignored,” leading to “unnecessary confusion at a time when New Yorkers needed clarity,” the Olson Group, which conducted the audit for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, concluded in the “New York State COVID-19 After Action Report.”