NW Kentucky News

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice recommending charges against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The referral suggests that Cuomo made false statements to Congress regarding New York's COVID-19 nursing home crisis.

Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) claims evidence shows Cuomo "knowingly and willfully" provided false information during his testimony before the Select Subcommittee. According to the subcommittee, Cuomo was involved in reviewing and drafting parts of a New York State Department of Health report which downplayed nursing home fatalities and shifted blame onto staff for excess COVID-19 deaths. Despite this involvement, Cuomo testified in June that he had no part in drafting or reviewing the report, statements which are now considered false by the subcommittee.

"Andrew Cuomo repeatedly lied to Congress, and he must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," said Wenstrup. He added that making false statements is a federal crime and expressed readiness to cooperate with any DOJ investigation into Cuomo’s actions.

A timeline of events reveals key moments in this ongoing investigation. In March 2020, a directive from Cuomo's administration led nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients, exposing vulnerable populations. By July 2020, a state health department report attributed excess deaths not to this directive but rather to nursing home staff—a conclusion reportedly influenced by Cuomo himself.

Further developments include an investigative report by New York State Attorney General Letitia James in January 2021 accusing Cuomo’s team of underreporting nursing home deaths by up to 50 percent. The subcommittee began its formal investigation into these matters in May 2023.

Cuomo's attorney has raised objections about a memo released by the subcommittee detailing his involvement in issuing directives during the pandemic. Nonetheless, new evidence presented as recently as September 2024 continues to challenge his previous testimonies.

The Select Subcommittee maintains its position as it forwards its findings for potential prosecution, highlighting what they see as efforts by Cuomo's administration to avoid accountability for their pandemic-era decisions.