A Super PAC supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has launched a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign accusing Gov. Kathy Hochul of pay-to-play “corruption” over a no-bid pandemic contract awarded to a political donor’s company to supply COVID-19 tests.
The $637 million emergency contract went to Digital Gadgets just days after the company’s CEO, Charles Tebele, and other members of his family hosted a lavish fundraiser for Hochul ahead of her 2022 reelection campaign.
“Kathy Hochul’s corruption is the tax we all pay,” says the ad, which was funded by Strong and Safe New York, a Super PAC backed by Knicks owner James Dolan and casino magnate Steve Wynn.
“Exhibit A. She gave her friends a $637 million no-bid contract for COVID tests, paying more than double what others were charging. And weeks before the deal, the CEO threw her a big fundraiser. The family ultimately shelled out more than $500,000 to Hochul’s machine.
“Hochul gets rich, her friends get richer,” the narrator says. “And we get the bill.”
The ad features an image of Hochul alongside a mock $637 million check made out to a “Hochul donor” for a “No bid Covid contract.”
The pro-Blakeman campaign is spending $750,000 a week on the ad, which is running across streaming services, paid social media and video messaging aimed at more than 1 million voters. Strong and Safe New York said the campaign will continue through Election Day on Nov. 3.
“Everything Kathy Hochul does raises costs on struggling New Yorkers, including her expensive and corrupt no-bid contracts,” a Strong and Safe spokesman said.
ALSO READ: Lawsuit Claims Boy Was Tossed Around After Fainting on Coaster
“New Yorkers simply can no longer afford Kathy Hochul.”
The ad revisits reporting by the Times Union, which found that Hochul’s administration bought 52 million COVID tests from Digital Gadgets in 2022 at roughly twice the price paid by other purchasers, including California, which bought directly from a manufacturer. The purchases came as Tebele and family members directed $300,000 to Hochul’s campaign.
Tebele’s fundraiser took place in November 2021.
Hochul’s office defended the spending at the time, saying the state needed to obtain rapid tests quickly to help keep schools open. However, many of the tests remained unused months after they were purchased.
The governor’s office also said Hochul was not personally involved in awarding the contract to Tebele’s company, arguing that the agreements had to be issued quickly to respond to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“Governor Hochul did not oversee the procurement process and was not involved in the day-to-day procurement decisions,” a Hochul spokesperson said in September 2022.
“She simply instructed her team to purchase as many available tests as possible to meet the tremendous need across the state, and they did exactly that to keep New Yorkers safe.”
Lee Zeldin, Hochul’s Republican opponent in the 2022 election, also criticized the governor over the contract during the campaign.
The Post has contacted Hochul’s campaign for comment.
