The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is sending a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, referring a potential criminal case involving former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to the Department of Justice. The subcommittee alleges that Cuomo lied to Congress regarding his role in a state health department report from June 2020 that underestimated the nursing home death count by nearly half.
The issue stems from a Cuomo administration advisory in March 2020 that prohibited nursing homes from rejecting patients based solely on a Covid-19 diagnosis. Subcommittee chairman Rep. Brad Wenstrup has accused Cuomo of admitting thousands of Covid-19 positive patients into nursing homes, leading to deadly consequences for vulnerable individuals.
Cuomo's legal team filed a referral letter to the Justice Department, claiming an abuse of power by the select committee. Cuomo's spokesperson criticized the GOP-led committee's actions as politically motivated.
Following reports of undercounted Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes, investigations were launched in New York. A report by the state's Attorney General revealed that deaths had been undercounted by approximately 50%, with numbers skewed by omitting deaths that occurred after patients were transferred to hospitals.
The expected criminal referral is based on testimony from Cuomo's former executive assistant, Farrah Kennedy, who provided emails showing Cuomo's involvement in editing the report. Cuomo denied the edits were his, but Kennedy believes otherwise.
The subcommittee alleges that Cuomo made false statements during a transcribed interview regarding his involvement in and knowledge of the report's drafting. Documents reportedly contradict Cuomo's statements, suggesting a deliberate effort to avoid accountability.
The case highlights the ongoing scrutiny of Cuomo's pandemic response and raises questions about transparency and accountability in government actions.
