The man who was hailed by Democrats and journalists alike as the country’s shadow leader during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic is finally facing scrutiny for a number of missteps that critics say cost potentially thousands of lives.

Andrew Cuomo’s daily addresses during the early days of lockdown provided comfort to many in a time of uncertainty. No other figure in the country was admired more by the legacy media and Hollywood than the governor of New York. Politico declared him a “social media superstar,” a New York Times columnist said Cuomo’s leadership style helped “sooth our battered nerves,” while he regularly appeared on his brother Chris Cuomo’s CNN show to crack jokes about their family life.