Families of victims who died from COVID-19 while living in New York nursing homes are calling on the US Department of Justice to open an investigation into former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
of New York Post The newspaper reported that the families are seeking charges against Cuomo after recently surfaced emails and congressional documents suggested the disgraced governor privately falsified reports that downplayed the number of deaths in the state's nursing homes.
“He must be held accountable.”
In a letter to the Department of Justice, Peter Irbiny, Vivian Zayas and Janice Dean argued that Governor Cuomo lied to lawmakers when he claimed at two separate hearings that he did not recall reading, much less reviewing or editing, the 2020 New York State Department of Health report before it was released.
“We urge the Department of Justice to open a full and fair investigation into Andrew Cuomo's comments to the Legislature, his coordination with other witnesses, and his role in covering up the number of nursing home deaths,” the letter to the Justice Department said.
“If he is found to have knowingly misled Congress and the American people or obstructed a congressional investigation, he must be held accountable under the law,” the document continued. “Families who have lost loved ones have a right to know the truth, and the public has a right to know that no one, especially those holding public office, is above the law.”
Emails recently published by The New York Times revealed that Governor Cuomo may have been much more privy to the report than he told lawmakers.
A June 23, 2020 email from then-Chuomo aide Farrah Kennedy suggested the then-governor had personally made edits to the report.
The email said, “The Governor's edited version has been attached, so please review it.”
“The small print at the beginning is from your original document. He replaced the paragraph on page 3 of yours that begins, 'However, as in all 50 states, there have been positive COVID-19 cases,'” the email added.
“The large letters were added by him,” Kennedy wrote.
The edits reportedly proposed by Governor Cuomo included adding language emphasizing that “community transmission among employees and visits by family and friends were relevant factors” in the nursing home deaths.
The Times also published congressional documents revealing that the report was apparently sent to his home at the aide's request before it was made public.
News media found that some of the edits requested by Governor Cuomo were included in the final report, resulting in an undercount of nursing home deaths.
Vivian Zayas, co-founder of Voices for Seniors, told the Post that he had nothing to do with the report.
“If he lied to Congress, he committed a crime and he should absolutely be investigated,” Zayas added. “We're going to see this through to the end. Cuomo should be held accountable.”
“We're well past the point of absurdity,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi told The Post on Sunday.
“Our hearts go out to all of the more than one million families who have lost loved ones, but it is clear and saddening that there are ongoing attempts to deliberately misrepresent and politicize this pandemic,” he told the Post.
In response to the Times report, Azzopardi said, “Governor Cuomo cooperated fully with the committee over two days, sharing everything he remembers about the events four years ago in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic. The facts uncovered by this MAGA committee do not overturn what New York has done.” [then-President Donald] These include President Trump's CDC nursing home policy and the conclusion of a HHS report that COVID was spread by asymptomatic staff in nursing homes.”
Some Democratic politicians are calling for Governor Cuomo to be held accountable.
“I have stood with nursing home families and will continue to stand with them to hold the former governor accountable,” Rep. Ron Kim (D-Queens) said recently.
“Andrew Cuomo has consistently lied and attacked the American people in order to pursue his book and political ambitions,” Kim continued. “Now we must hold him accountable and use this opportunity to fix our broken long-term care system.”
City Councilman Lincoln Ressler, a Democrat, accused Cuomo of giving “misleading and inaccurate” testimony.
“He has made it clear time and time again that he is someone New Yorkers cannot trust and who should not be holding public office,” Ressler said.
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