Former Cuomo aide writes language for inflammatory anti-Semitism

A campaign volunteer who was a former assistant to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo wrote the language in an incendiary and fake soap opera that suggested that the governor's main opponent, Cynthia Nixon, was anti-Semitic, according to an email obtained by the New York Times.

The volunteer who drafted the language of the sender, David Lobl, former governor's special assistant, sent the language to two campaign aides, who created the flyer. He was then approved by another campaign volunteer, Lawrence S. Schwartz, former senior lieutenant of Mr. Cuomo.

The correspondence, dated September 1, shows Mr. Lobl describing a text that was then reproduced almost verbatim in the mailing, which was sent to 7,000 households shortly before Rosh Hashana and a few days before Thursday's primary. .

It reads:

"CN does not want to fund yeshivas

CN is pro-BDS

CN remained silent on the anti-Semisisim "

Mr. Lobl, who was the Liaison Officer with the Jewish community when he was working for Mr. Cuomo, declined to comment.

It is common for these links to write discussion points and other materials for campaigns. In the emails, Mr. Lobl went on to suggest that the flyer included a photo of the governor with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who appeared at the front of the flyer. The email also includes references to the governor's achievements on Jewish causes, which were also detailed on the flyer.

In a statement, Lis Smith, spokesman for the Cuomo campaign, confirmed that Mr. Lobl had written the initial email that inspired the mail, and that Mr. Schwartz had approved it. But she said that Mr. Schwartz did not notice the false statements on the back.

"Larry Schwartz, who is part of our campaign as a volunteer, was reviewing mailings on an ad hoc basis, but he saw only the positive section of the sender and never saw the negative section, "said Ms. Smith. "If he had seen it, he would never have gone out. We have always said that the mailer was inappropriate and an error and have worked with the State Party to change the approval process to ensure that this does not happen again.

In a phone interview Wednesday night, Mr. Schwartz, the former secretary of the governor, the state's most senior unelected official, said he was very upset by the shippers, noting that He was Jewish.

"I would never have approved this shipment if I had seen it in its entirety," he said. "It was totally inappropriate."

Ms. Nixon is not Jewish, but she is raising two of her children in the Jewish religion. The allegations in the leaflet were false, including the reference to the BDS movement, which seeks to punish Israel with boycott, divestment and sanctions.

The prospectus, which was paid by the Democratic Committee of the State of New York, was strongly denounced by the Democrats of Mr. Cuomo. In a Facebook post, Sharon Kleinbaum and Rabbi Kleinbaum's wife, Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, wrote the flyer to Nixon, the synagogue's rabbi.

Cuomo, a Democrat seeking a third term, denied knowing the email, calling it "error" and not revealing his campaign. Ms. Nixon's campaign described the pamphlet as "devious, vile and deceptive," saying "it would certainly damage her heritage and reputation more than Cynthia".