New York’s racialized coronavirus priorities are illegal and warrant DOJ investigation, critics say

New York is blatantly violating the Constitution and should be investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for prioritizing non-White individuals for certain coronavirus treatments, critics told Fox News.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Dec. 27 memo tells health care providers that eligibility for anti-viral treatments should weigh race as a risk factor for severe illness.

“Non-white race or Hispanic/Latino ethnicity should be considered a risk factor, as longstanding systemic health and social inequities have contributed to an increased risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19,” it reads.

Author and former U.S. Assistant Attorney Andy McCarthy argued that this provision violates the Constitution and could be criminal.

“I believe New York’s noxious provision violates both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, which respectively prohibit the denial of equal protection of law and the denial or abridgment of citizens’ rights based on race or color,” he said in a statement to Fox News.

“It is also a violation of the federal civil rights laws, including, very likely, a felony violation of the criminal statute that prohibits state and municipal officials, acting under color of law, from depriving people of their constitutional and legal rights by reason of those persons’ race or color.” – READ MORE