New York City lawmakers called for an investigation Friday into ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio’s COVID Czar — after he was caught bragging on hidden camera about going to a drug-fueled sex party with hundreds of people mid-pandemic.
Dr. Jay Varma — who served as a senior health adviser to de Blasio during the pandemic — made the confession in secretly recorded conversations with an undercover operative from conservative podcaster Steven Crowder’s “Mug Club.”
A letter sent to Speaker Adrienne Adams, Gale Brewer and Lynn Schulman urged the Democratic council members to grill Varma — who said the clip was “out of context” but did not explicitly deny there were parties — along with de Blasio and then-Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi.
“Given the profound impact the pandemic has had on our City, we are disgusted by the blatant hypocrisy and recklessness by a public official entrusted with such an enormous responsibility,” the letter said.
Council member Robert Holden (D-Queens) also sent a letter to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and New York City’s Interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon urging a thorough investigation into Varma’s comments about a 200-person drug-fueled sex rave in the basement of a Wall Street bank during the summer of 2020.
“We’ve seen accountability when Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government did something similar, and we need that same level of accountability here,” Holden told the Post.
Joe Borrelli (R-Staten Island) ripped Varma’s video comments, saying that his “expert opinion caused significant losses to thousands of New Yorkers as businesses shuddered.”
“And all while he was playing ‘who’s in my mouth’ and ripping lines like he was at Fyre Festival. Dr. Varma deserves to get a public spanking, although after a few bumps he may just like that,” Borelli said.
Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn) questioned how Varma could be handing down mandates to New Yorkers and called for immediate action.
“It’s time for the COVID Czar to face consequences, just like any other New Yorker would if they committed fraud on this scale,” she said.
Vickie Paladino (R-Queens) said she was “appalled and disgusted” by Varma’s comments.
The edited clips of the hidden camera footage, which were all recorded between July 27 and Aug. 14 in New York, were released by Crowder on Thursday.
The Post has not reviewed the full, unedited recordings.
Varma, who no longer works for City Hall, admitted to The Post that he “participated in two private gatherings” between April 2020 and May 2021 — but ripped Chowder as “discredited.”
“In those private conversations that were secretly recorded, spliced, diced, and taken out of context, I referred to events that transpired four years ago. Between April 2020 – May 2021, I participated in two private gatherings. I take responsibility for not using the best judgment at the time,” he said in a statement.
Specific dates for the two private gatherings remains unclear and it is unknown what violations Varma may have, if any, been breaking at the time.
The Post has contacted the Council, the City, NYPD and the DA for comment but did not immediately respond.
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