Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo faces mounting scrutiny as federal investigators uncover disturbing details about his administration's handling of COVID-19 nursing home deaths.
According to the Washington Examiner, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has issued a damning final report recommending criminal prosecution of Cuomo for deliberately concealing nursing home fatalities and making false statements during their investigation.
The 520-page report reveals a systematic effort to manipulate data and mislead the public about COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes. The investigation uncovered evidence that Cuomo worked with the New York State Executive Board to hide the true impact of his controversial March 2020 directive requiring nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients.
The directive marked a significant departure from other states' approaches to protecting vulnerable populations. While many jurisdictions implemented policies to prevent COVID-19 exposure in nursing homes, New York took the opposite approach. The decision resulted in over 9,000 COVID-19 patients being admitted to nursing facilities within just six weeks.
The policy remained in effect until May 8, 2020, when mounting public pressure forced the administration to reverse course. Cuomo himself acknowledged the change was made because the public was "so nervous and so concerned" about the policy's implications.
The investigation revealed that the subsequent July 6 report, which attempted to shift blame to nursing home staff, underwent significant editing by Cuomo's executive chamber. The modifications included removing deaths that occurred outside facilities and manipulating data to support their preferred narrative.
The subcommittee's findings detail how Cuomo's administration deliberately misrepresented the independence of their July 6 report. Despite claims of independent drafting and peer review by the New York Health Department, evidence shows Cuomo was heavily involved in editing the document.
The governor's office made strategic adjustments to "show more causality" and exclude certain categories of deaths from their official counts. This manipulation created a significantly distorted picture of the pandemic's impact on nursing home residents.
These actions have led the subcommittee to refer the matter to the Department of Justice for potential criminal prosecution. The investigation found that Cuomo "knowingly and willfully made false statements" throughout the inquiry process.
Cuomo's team has mounted a vigorous defense against the report's conclusions. His spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, dismissed the findings as politically motivated attacks from "MAGA Republicans."
Azzopardi stated:
This is the same weak gruel the MAGA Republicans on this committee have been peddling for months if not years. From the very beginning, this has been an abuse of power and a waste of taxpayer money aimed at punishing perceived political enemies — like Dr. Fauci, Governor Cuomo, and 'the deep state' — that does nothing to make us more prepared for the next pandemic.
The team points to federal data showing New York ranks 39th in pro rata nursing home deaths as evidence against the report's conclusions. However, this defense fails to address the specific allegations of data manipulation and false statements.
The House Select Subcommittee's investigation into Andrew Cuomo's COVID-19 response has culminated in a recommendation for criminal prosecution, citing deliberate misrepresentation of nursing home fatalities and false statements to investigators. The former governor's controversial March 2020 directive led to over 9,000 COVID-19-positive patients being admitted to nursing homes, with subsequent attempts to conceal the impact through data manipulation and edited reports. The Department of Justice will now evaluate the subcommittee's findings to determine whether to pursue criminal charges.
