The ongoing saga surrounding former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s handling of nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic has taken another dramatic turn. House Republicans are once again pressing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pursue criminal charges against Cuomo, alleging he made “criminally false statements” to Congress regarding the undercounting of nursing home fatalities.
This renewed effort comes after the House Oversight Committee re-submitted a criminal referral, highlighting “overwhelming evidence” that a state audit, overseen by Cuomo, significantly downplayed the true number of deaths in New York’s senior care facilities. The core of the allegation centers on a July 6, 2020 report that reportedly undercounted deaths by a staggering 46%.
“Andrew Cuomo is a man with a history of corruption and deceit, now caught red-handed lying to Congress during the Select Subcommittee’s investigation into the COVID-19 nursing home tragedy in New York,” stated Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.). “This wasn’t a slip-up — it was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility for the devastating loss of life in New York’s nursing homes.”
The controversy stems from a March 25, 2020 directive that mandated recovering COVID-19 patients be admitted or readmitted into nursing homes without required testing. By May 10, when the order was revoked, thousands of potentially infectious individuals had been placed in these vulnerable settings. According to a report by the Empire Center for Public Policy, “The number of COVID-19 deaths in New York nursing homes was more than 15,000, significantly higher than the state’s official count of 9,786.”
The House Oversight Committee is demanding that Cuomo be prosecuted to the “fullest extent of the law” for lying to Congress, a charge that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence per count.
In response, Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, dismissed the renewed referral as “a meritless press release that was nonsense last year and is even more so now.” Azzopardi further accused the House Republicans of engaging in “election interference and law-fare.”
Cuomo himself had previously called for the DOJ to investigate former House Select Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), accusing him of “colluding” with critics and exceeding his jurisdictional authority.
The heart of the dispute lies in Cuomo’s testimony to the House COVID subcommittee on June 11, where he stated he had not drafted, reviewed, discussed, or consulted on the July 2020 nursing home report. This statement is now being directly challenged by the House Republicans.
This ongoing investigation highlights the critical importance of transparency and accountability in the nursing home industry, especially during public health crises. As the DOJ considers the renewed referral, the industry watches closely, seeking clarity and justice for the thousands of lives affected.