CNN —
The Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday morning asking the Justice Department to file a criminal case against former New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo for lying to Congress. I plan to mention the possibility.
At issue is the truth about Cuomo’s role in writing and reviewing a June 2020 state health department report that underestimated nursing home deaths by nearly half.
Cuomo’s administration’s recommendations issued in March 2020 prohibited nursing homes from refusing to admit patients based solely on a COVID-19 diagnosis. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the subcommittee, said the former governor’s bad decisions effectively admitted “thousands of COVID-19 positive patients into nursing homes, the most in New York state.” It has had predictable but deadly consequences for vulnerable people.”
Earlier Wednesday, Mr. Cuomo’s legal team filed a referral with the Justice Department to investigate allegations of abuse of power by the special committee, focusing specifically on Mr. Wenstrup, who they claim is colluding with the Fox News personality and her husband. requested an investigation. He is joining a separate coronavirus-related lawsuit against the former governor.
Cuomo press secretary Rich Azzopardi said the Republican-led committee “participated in a pre-election MAGA campaign and actively engaged in unethical behavior to help their masters score cheap political points.” “I chose it,” he said.
“This is a joke,” Azzopardi said of the testimony in question. “The governor said he doesn’t remember because he doesn’t remember.”
Mr. Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. New York state officials launched an investigation after reports first surfaced that the administration had misled the public about the death toll.
In January 2021, New York State Attorney General Letitia James released a report finding that deaths from COVID-19 among nursing home residents were undercounted by about 50%. The health department skewed the numbers by excluding deaths that occurred after patients were taken to hospitals.
The report tentatively concluded that deaths were underreported, based on a survey of 62 nursing homes, about 10% of all facilities statewide. James’ report detailed one facility where deaths were underreported to the Department of Health by up to 29 deaths.
The expected criminal referral is based in part on testimony from Farrah Kennedy, Cuomo’s former executive assistant. In June 2020, Mr. Kennedy wrote an email to Mr. Cuomo’s then-senior staff suggesting that the report be edited and some rewritten. The email she sent on June 28, 2020 was titled “Editing Nursing Home Documents.” Mr. Cuomo denied that the edits were his, but Mr. Kennedy told the subcommittee that he “believes this is his handwriting.”
In a letter obtained by CNN, the subcommittee said Cuomo’s “alleged false statements” were made during a transcribed interview on June 11, and that “the July 6 report “Involvement in the drafting of the book and knowledge.”
The subcommittee’s letter, signed by Mr. Wenstrup, states: “As described in the attached letter of introduction.” Mr. Cuomo made criminally false statements multiple times, including that he was not involved in drafting or reviewing the July 6 report. ”
The letter said Cuomo had “no discussion of the July 6 report being peer-reviewed” and said he did not know whether the report would be reviewed by individuals other than the Department of Health. I testified.
The subcommittee says the documents show that all of these statements are false. The commission said Cuomo lied “in what appears to be a conscious and calculated effort to protect himself from accountability.”
