Andrew Giuliani accused NY1 of discrimination for making him attend a debate remotely.- The local TV station requires all studio guests to be vaccinated, and
Giuliani isn't.
Andrew Giuliani accused a New York TV station of discrimination for making him take part in the state governor's debate virtually because he isn't vaccinated against COVID-19.
Giuliani, who is the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, told a Sunday press conference that NY1 Spectrum News had barred him from attending its upcoming Republican primary debate in person.
"NY1 Spectrum News has imposed a COVID mandate, saying that I can actually not come in the building again," he said at the press conference.
Giuliani said that not being able to visit the studio is "discrimination against a health choice."
The Republican gubernatorial candidate, who announced he was running in May 2021, said "the craziest thing" about the rule was that he visited the same studio on April 27. A spokesperson for the station said this should not have happened, the New York Daily News reported.
The New York Daily News also reported that Giuliani sent a note to the station's political director describing the decision as "a blatant act of discrimination."
"Your decision to banish me to a remote location interferes with the Republican voters' ability to make an informed decision on June 28th," he wrote, according to the New York Daily News. The primary election is on June 28.
NY1 Spectrum News spokesperson Maureen Huff told New York Daily News that all studio guests must be vaccinated, and that Giuliani knew this.
"Giuliani accepted the invitation to the debate knowing the rules and parameters, which include the need to be vaccinated in order to appear live," Huff said, per the New York Daily News.
NY1 Spectrum News did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Giuliani was also barred from attending an in-person debate hosted by CBS last week, with the network displaying his face on a screen as other candidates stood on stage in the studio.
In a statement, CBS told The Associated Press that all visitors to its broadcast center must be vaccinated.