The Department of Justice (DOJ) has initiated an investigation into former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the pandemic. Reports of this emerged late Tuesday.
About a month ago, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., began the investigation, which has since been transferred to two roles within the DOJ.
This action follows a request from a House Republican panel last year, urging Attorney General Pam Bondy to consider legal action against Cuomo.
The New York Times was the first to reveal the DOJ investigation after Oka reached out for comments.
House Republicans have been advocating for a federal inquiry into Cuomo, while at a congressional hearing, Cuomo stated he played no role in creating or reviewing the state health department’s report regarding the handling of nursing home policies during the pandemic.
The DOJ’s inquiry into Cuomo, who is a leading candidate for mayor of New York City, has led to suggestions that some senior officials in the office should resign, following a directive for federal prosecutors to drop a corruption charge against current NYC Mayor Eric Adams three months prior.
“We’ve never received any indication of such an issue, so why is this being leaked now? It seems to be a clear case of interference between the legal system and electoral processes,” said Azzopardi, who also defended Cuomo’s statements.
“Governor Cuomo has clearly done his best to recall events from four years ago and is open to addressing any further questions from the subcommittee, but honestly, this has always felt politically motivated,” Azzopardi added.
