Two brothers have expressed their discontent with former Governor Andrew Cuomo following the death of their father due to COVID-19. They voiced their frustrations while supporting Cuomo’s opponent, Brad Lander, in the mayoral race.
Peter and Daniel Irviny’s father, Norman, who was 89, passed away after being treated at a nursing home in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
In March 2020, Cuomo implemented a policy allowing COVID-positive patients to be admitted to nursing homes, even when the facilities lacked testing or adequate protective equipment.
After resigning in 2021 amid allegations of sexual misconduct he still disputes, Cuomo is now running in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor.
During an endorsement event for Lander held outside the nursing home where their father had stayed, Peter remarked, “It’s my honor to support Brad because he sought help from our family during the height of Covid in April 2020 when the city was shut down.”
He further stated, “Five years ago, when elected officials didn’t meet or stand up for us, Brad Lander was one civil servant who fought with us to expose Andrew Cuomo’s lies and sought accountability for his father and many other grieving New Yorkers.”
Peter praised Lander’s empathy and integrity, saying, “It’s exactly what the mayor needs.” Lander invited him as a guest at a recent mayoral debate, where he called on Cuomo to apologize for his administration’s handling of COVID-19.
“I admire Peter and Daniel Irviny. They’ve bravely sought accountability from Andrew Cuomo for five years. It’s really inspiring,” Lander said.
Cuomo, however, did not offer an apology during the debate. He expressed sorrow for Mr. Irviny’s loss but maintained that he disagreed with their interpretation of the facts.
“Mr. Irviny lost his father. I’m very sorry,” Cuomo stated, but he insisted Lander and the Irvinys were mistaken about the circumstances surrounding their father’s COVID infection.
Cuomo claimed that a lawsuit brought by the Irvinys had revealed that legal documents had not been properly shared between the hospital and the nursing home, making it unlikely their father contracted COVID from the hospital.
Daniel Irviny had previously led a federal class-action lawsuit against Cuomo, which was dismissed by a Brooklyn federal judge.
Amid ongoing scrutiny, Cuomo acknowledged last week that he had indeed seen the contentious reports regarding COVID-related deaths amongst nursing home residents during his time in office. He suggested he may have made edits to documents before their release.
“I didn’t remember seeing the report back then. I saw the report. After reading it, I’m sure I made a language change,” he admitted.
Reports indicate that the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation to determine if Cuomo misled Congress.
Emails obtained by a Congressional subcommittee suggest that Cuomo’s aides were involved in drafting the report, which downplayed the impact of the March 25, 2020, policy that allowed COVID patients into nursing homes without mandatory testing.
Initially, the state was also found to have significantly underreported COVID-related deaths among nursing home residents, with figures nearly 50% lower than actual numbers.
Cuomo has consistently argued that his administration followed federal guidance when implementing the nursing home policy and maintained that all COVID-related deaths were reported accurately.
During a hearing before the House Coronavirus Pandemic Subcommittee in June 2024, he denied claims that his administration mishandled the COVID response, attributing any failures to federal leadership constraints.
