Comer Refers Andrew Cuomo to DOJ for Criminal Charges for Lying About Nursing Home Deaths

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) is once again urging the Department of Justice to pursue criminal charges against Andrew Cuomo, accusing the ex-New York governor of deliberately misleading Congress about his administration’s handling of COVID-19 policies that affected nursing homes and resulted in significant loss of life.

Comer issued a renewed referral to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, following the Biden administration’s decision not to act on an earlier referral sent in October under Merrick Garland’s leadership. In a letter dated Monday, Comer wrote that the White House “ignored” the matter despite compelling evidence that Cuomo had misrepresented his involvement.

According to the referral, Cuomo allegedly played a direct role in shaping and approving the July 2020 New York State Department of Health report, which significantly downplayed the number of COVID-related fatalities in nursing homes by nearly half. However, when questioned by Congress, Cuomo denied any participation in the report’s drafting or review—a statement the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic now claims is demonstrably false.

“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,” said Comer. “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.”

Cuomo also denied having conversations about whether the July 2020 report had undergone peer review or whether it was vetted by individuals outside of New York’s health department. However, the referral, spanning 107 pages, includes evidence contradicting those claims.

“Let’s be clear: lying to Congress is a federal crime. Mr. Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Comer said. “The House Oversight Committee is prepared to fully cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s actions and ensure he’s held to account.”

The original referral was submitted by Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), who previously chaired the House’s coronavirus subcommittee. Wenstrup currently serves on President Donald Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

A controversial executive directive issued under Cuomo’s leadership required nursing homes to accept more than 9,000 recovering COVID-19 patients, a move intended to alleviate overwhelmed hospitals. However, critics argue that it needlessly endangered the lives of vulnerable elderly residents.

At the time, the state released a report claiming that outbreaks in long-term care facilities were largely the result of infected staff rather than the governor’s directive—an assertion that has remained hotly disputed.

Following mounting scandals involving both the nursing home policy and multiple allegations of inappropriate conduct, Cuomo stepped down in August 2021. He is now attempting a return to public life, this time with ambitions to lead New York City.

The push to prosecute him comes as Cuomo campaigns to unseat Eric Adams as mayor. While Cuomo is contesting the Democratic primary, Adams is seeking reelection as an independent.

When announcing his candidacy in March, Cuomo avoided any mention of the nursing home controversy and instead praised his administration’s actions during the height of the health crisis. “We faced Covid, which was an historic life-and-death challenge, and we had it first and worst with no warning,” Cuomo said. “We were on our own, and we were pushed to our limits, but we got through it together and we led the nation.”

Responding to the renewed referral, Cuomo’s spokesperson Rich Azzopardi dismissed it entirely. “This is nothing more than a meritless press release that was nonsense last year and is even more so now,” he said, suggesting that the push for criminal prosecution by Trump’s Justice Department is driven by political motives. It remains uncertain whether Attorney General Bondi will decide to pursue charges.

{Matzav.com}