Dr. Jay K. Varma, who led New York City’s pandemic response as senior public health adviser under Mayor Bill de Blasio, is facing backlash after a hidden-camera video revealed he violated the same Covid-19 guidelines he promoted.
The video, posted by conservative podcaster Steven Crowder, shows Dr. Varma boasting about attending sex parties and a dance gathering under a Wall Street bank during the height of the pandemic, while he was urging New Yorkers to stay home. Dr. Varma acknowledged the recordings but claimed they were “spliced, diced and taken out of context,” and admitted to attending three gatherings between August 2020 and June 2021.
Councilwoman Paladino(@VickieforNYC) is furious.
There must be accountability. #VarmaGate pic.twitter.com/taCbDOpwbz
— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) September 21, 2024
At the time, strict public health measures in New York included mandatory indoor masking, school closures, and bans on indoor dining. As a key figure in implementing these policies, Dr. Varma’s actions have sparked outrage, reminiscent of other pandemic-era controversies involving public officials, such as Boris Johnson’s lockdown parties and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s infamous French Laundry dinner. Republican minority leader of the City Council, Joseph Borelli, criticized the hypocrisy, saying it undermined the public health measures Varma championed.
“I take responsibility for not using the best judgment at the time,” Dr. Varma said in his statement.
