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Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Press Release: New York City Monkeypox Whistleblower Seeks Reinstatement - Government Accountability Project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New York City Monkeypox Whistleblower Seeks Reinstatement

Dr. Don Weiss Will Use Whistleblower Laws to Compel the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to Reverse His Recent “Reassignment” for Whistleblowing

WASHINGTON—Government Accountability Project has notified New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Ashwin Vasan that Dr. Don Weiss is a DOMH whistleblower who is the victim of illegal retaliation.

Until his recent reassignment, Dr. Weiss was the DOHMH Director of Surveillance for the Bureau of Communicable Disease. Beginning in June 2022, he repeatedly raised significant concerns with DOHMH management about the agency’s gross mismanagement of public messaging about the Monkeypox pandemic. Within days of sending Commissioner Vasan a memorandum, Monkeypox Is a Sexually Transmitted Infection, Messages Suggesting Otherwise Are Misinforming and Prolonging the Outbreak, Dr. Weiss was reassigned to the DOHMH Division of Family and Child Health where he now works as a Specialist.

The reassignment is a demotion and constitutes retaliation. New York City and State whistleblower laws, rules and regulations prohibit retaliation against public employee whistleblowers. Dr. Weiss seeks reinstatement and will be using all legal means available to obtain that and other relief.

Dr. Weiss is represented by Government Accountability Project. Its letter is attached here. David Z. Seide said:

Dr. Don Weiss is a dedicated public...



Read Full Story: https://whistleblower.org/press/press-release-new-york-city-monkeypox-whistle...