Hochul’s Pay-to-Play Stink Grows

Gov. Hochul’s rancid COVID-test pay-toplay just keeps getting uglier. Emails have emerged suggesting that Charlie Tebele — who scored a total of $637 million in no-bid contracts to provide New York with tests and whose family ultimately gave some $300,000 to Hochul’s election war chest — was in communication with Hochul on COVID tests weeks before he scored his sweet deal.

Tebele pretends he and the gov only discussed “community matters” at the fundraising bash he threw her, but he seemingly included “Covid tests” among the topics he’d been “asked to reach out” on via “follow up” email.

In those emails, Tebele specifically offers his services as a test provider — and bingo, days later he had his massive $338 million payout. A month later, he got a re-up worth $299 million.

Tebele says he only emailed the gov’s office about selling tests because he read in The New York Times the state needed them.

Ha! Believe that and we have a bridge to sell you. Especially because the claim follows absurdity from Hochul about having no idea Tebele was a big time campaign donor at all — despite that fundraiser and her campaign later hiring one of his children.

Yes, it’s a total coincidence that one email from Tebele generated $637 million for him — thanks largely to the insane markup he charged Empire Staters for each test, more than double what other vendors (i.e. those without cozy political links to Hochul) were getting and well above the retail price despite being sold by the million.

Albany Dems don’t care. “I take her at her word,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Hochul’s flimsy excuses. On goes the cycle of sleazy backroom deals.