Metro

Mailer linking Nixon to anti-Semitism was approved by top Cuomo aides

The slimy mailer that sought to link Cynthia Nixon to anti-Semitism was drafted and approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s closest advisers, including former top aide Larry Schwartz, sources told The Post Wednesday.

The revelations come five days since the mailer — paid by the state Democratic Party — hit 7,000 mailboxes in Jewish neighborhoods.

Cuomo has adamantly denied he had anything to do with the smear.

But sources said one of his longtime confidants was deeply involved.

“Schwartz was very involved with the mailer and signed off on it,” a Democratic source said, describing the aide as a “henchman” and “enforcer.”

The source added: “It obviously blew up.”

The Cuomo campaign released a statement largely confirming The Post’s reporting.

“Larry Schwartz who serves on our campaign in a volunteer capacity was reviewing mail pieces in an ad hoc fashion, but he only saw the positive section of the mailer and never saw the negative section,” said Cuomo campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith.





“Had he seen it, it would have never gone out.”

Schwartz and Cuomo go back decades. The pair worked together on Mario Cuomo’s failed bid to win a fourth term in 1994.

In 2011, Cuomo named Schwartz as secretary, a title that dramatically undersells the power invested in the position as the top aide in the executive office.

He also served in the same role for Cuomo’s predecessor, David Patterson.

Schwartz has remained closely tied to Cuomo since leaving the governor’s office in 2015. Cuomo appointed him to the board of the MTA, where he has served as the governor’s enforcer.

“We all know that Larry is the person closest to the governor and he doesn’t do anything without the Cuomo’s knowledge,” said a transit source. “It’s similar to a criminal cartel where they only communicate verbally to a handful of trusted people, of which Larry is one.”





Schwartz is also a top executive at OTG, a concessions company that has contracts with airlines that operate at city airports.

And, he has been a top adviser to Cuomo’s reelection campaign this year, to the point of distraction from his MTA duties.

“Schwartz has been much less involved with the MTA this summer as he’s shifted his focus to Cuomo’s campaign,” an agency source confirmed. “He was even in the room to help the incumbent prepare for his one debate against Nixon.”

The Cuomo campaign named a longtime staffer, David Lobl, as the actual author of the mailer.

However, Democratic sources told the Post that Lobl was tasked with digging into allegations that Nixon was anti-Semitic, but ultimately disproved them.





Lobl is the “fall guy,” said a source. “The real story is the campaign did this.”

Two other sources confirmed that Lobl — who spent nearly six years as a “Special Assistant to the Governor” — was formerly in charge of outreach to New York’s politically important Jewish communities.

While he left Cuomo’s office in May to join a lobbying firm, he remains linked to Cuomo-world.

“He’s still going to campaign meetings,” a well-placed Democrat confirmed.

Additional reporting by Danielle Furfaro





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