A state appeals court Thursday ruled New York City Mayor de Blasio does not have to turn over information subpoenaed by City Comptroller Scott Stringer detailing nonpublic communications de Blasio and others had about the city's planning and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pointing to the common law's public interest privilege, which attaches to certain confidential communications involving public officers, the Appellate Division, First Department court wrote that "in this particular circumstance, the interest in protecting the Mayor's and the First Deputy Mayor's predecisional and deliberative communications is stronger than the interest in allowing the Comptroller to review, and possibly publish, the communications as part of his investigation" into the city's pandemic preparations and response.