New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo under investigation for nursing home deaths - ABC News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Cuomo was praised for efforts early in the pandemic, but now faces criticism.
ByAaron Katersky February 18, 2021, 1:20 AM • 5 min read Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this article
The FBI and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn are investigating Gov. Andrew Cuomo's coronavirus task force with a particular focus on his administration's handling of nursing homes early in the coronavirus pandemic, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The investigation, first reported by the Albany Times Union, is in its initial stages. Subpoenas have been issued, the sources said.
MORE: Number of NY nursing home residents lost to COVID-19 underreported by up to 50%, probe says
The FBI declined to comment, as did the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.
The full scope of the investigation is not immediately clear, but the sources said there was a particular interest in nursing homes, which have been a source of increasing frustration for Cuomo.
Last week, an aide conceded the administration withheld the nursing home death toll from state lawmakers out of fear it would be used against the state by the Trump administration.
"He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes," Cuomo's top aide, Melissa DeRosa, said of Trump on the conference call recording, a transcript of which was provided by DeRosa to ABC News. "He starts going after [New Jersey Gov. Phil] Murphy, starts going after [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, starts going after [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer. He directs the Department of Justice to do an investigation into us."
"And basically, we froze, because then we were in a position where we weren't sure if what [numbers] we were going to give to the Department of Justice or what we give to you guys ... was going to be used against us," DeRosa told the legislators. "We weren't sure if there was going to be an investigation."
MORE: Cuomo's office hid nursing home COVID-19 data out of fear of Trump administration
Cuomo conceded this week his handling of nursing home fatality data created a "void" that became filled by misinformation and conspiracy theories -- but he declined to apologize.
"The void we created by not providing information was filled with skepticism and cynicism and conspiracy theories which fueled the confusion," Cuomo said during a news conference Monday. "The void we created disinformation and that caused more anxiety for loved ones."
The controversy over nursing home deaths has dogged Cuomo for months. At the onset of the pandemic, state health officials directed nursing homes to accept residents recovering from the virus as they were discharged from hospitals.
The directive was rescinded several weeks later, but Cuomo faced criticism that it contributed to a high level of deaths in nursing homes. The governor said he based the decision on federal guidance at the time and insisted staff members, not residents discharged from hospitals, brought coronavirus into nursing homes.
Cuomo said Monday that 98% of the nursing homes that accepted a patient from a hospital already had COVID-19 cases.
"COVID did not get into the nursing homes by people coming from hospitals," Cuomo said. "COVID got into the nursing homes by staff walking into the nursing homes when we didn't even know we had COVID."
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If Cuomo's administration wasn't honest with the numbers..... I want him held accountable for it.
With all the lies we've had to endure out of the Trump administration, I'm not of the mind of letting any of our other elected officials off the hook either.
Investigate, and prosecute as needed.
Agreed.
Nah....it's still all Trumps fault...somehow.
Cuomo was in a no win situation. At the time, hospitals were overwhelmed with Covid cases and there simply was not enough resources to go around. Whether Cuomo realized it or not, he had to choose who received available resources or not.
That's not a logical argument. The issue is the coverup. The number of covid cases doesn't force anyone to lie or coverup.
I'm not making an argument. I'm stating a fact.
First, your post was irrelevant to the issue at hand. It's a classic example of a logical fallacy.
Second, of course it's an argument and not a fact. Do you not understand what an argument is? Cuomo had numerous options available to him other than forcing thousands of people with active infections into nursing homes. I bet if you think about it you can come up with a few.
Well, now any state--red or blue--will be excused by the left if any Covid numbers were fudged for any reason if the hospitals there are overwhelmed.
Isn't THAT logical??
/s
I stated a simple fact, which might help explain and relates to the current situation. And you have not demonstrated otherwise. So your assessment lacks merit. As for options, feel free to list them and then we can evaluate their feasibility, given the circumstances at the time.
Who on the left is excusing any state?
You.
Post #3.
Absolutely no one.
Then you are wrong!
Man, your post is right there!
Yes, and in no way am I defending Cuomo or saying he did the right thing. It's your interpretation of my post that's an error. I pointed out factual circumstances, which now leads to the current issue, and which you have offered nothing to refute it.
That has been my observation thus far too.
Your post is plain enough.
You made an excuse for Cuomo.
And you are still wrong on that!
Your excuse-making post is still there, you know.
Your erroneous interpretation is still there. I offered no excuses. Just facts, which you have yet to refute.
No interpretation or refutation of excuses is called for.
That only shows you can't refute anything I said.
No, it just shows there is nothing there worth responding further to.
And yet you felt the need to respond multiple times. But that just shows you never had a worthy response to begin with.
Your post is STILL right there.
I read it, I understood it, and I recognized it was an excuse.
'Nuff said!
And your interpretation of my post is STILL wrong! 'Nuff said indeed!
www.msn.com /en-us/news/politics/new-york-lawmaker-says-cuomo-threatened-him-governor-says-he-e2-80-99s-liar/ar-BB1dLZY9
New York Lawmaker Says Cuomo Threatened Him; Governor Says He’s Liar
(Bloomberg) -- New York Assemblyman Ron Kim said he was threatened by Governor Andrew Cuomo after criticizing his administration’s handling of nursing-home deaths during the pandemic. A spokesman for Cuomo called the lawmaker a liar.
Kim said Cuomo called him last Thursday, yelled at him for 10 minutes and threatened to “destroy” him, the New York Times and CNN reported. An aide in Kim’s office confirmed the lawmaker’s account and said he wasn’t immediately available to comment. The conversation with Cuomo took place after Kim told the New York Post that an admission by Cuomo’s top aide that the administration withheld nursing-home data from lawmakers made it appear as if the governor were trying to dodge incriminating evidence.
”Mr. Kim is lying about his conversation with Governor Cuomo Thursday night,” said Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi, who said he was in the same room as the governor when the phone call occurred. “At no time did anyone threaten to ‘destroy’ anyone with their ‘wrath’ nor engage in a ‘coverup.’ That’s beyond the pale and is unfortunately part of a years-long pattern of lies by Mr. Kim against this administration.”
Kim, a Democrat like Cuomo, represents Flushing, a Queens neighborhood hit hard by the virus. The lawmaker has said he believes his own uncle died from Covid in a nursing home last year. Kim has accused Cuomo of covering up the extent of pandemic-related nursing-home deaths, and has joined more than a dozen lawmakers calling for an investigation into his administration and a rollback of Cuomo’s emergency powers.
Earlier Wednesday, Cuomo denied his administration did anything illegal or unethical with regard to Covid in nursing homes. He said his administration takes responsibility for failing to better communicate with state lawmakers and the general public. “My administration created the void, and that I feel bad about,” he said in a virus briefing. “Not illegal, not unethical, but just failed people in that moment.”
Bottom line: Governors are elected to do right for the people of their state. If Cuomo failed in this basic function, he deserves any and all lumps coming his way for it. I'm glad he feels bad about it, but if people died because of neglect, or mishandling, then he is culpable. End of story.
If that doesn't spell coverup to you, then you simply are ignorant and not looking at the facts.
Why would the numbers be at all differently reported to the feds and to state officials?
And why on earth would whether there was going to be an investigation or not matter to what numbers are reported?
The way the statement was worded makes it seem as though fake numbers would be reported in an effort to thwart or head off any federal investigation.
Time to come clean, Cuomo.
I don’t doubt Cuomo maybe could have done a few things differently or better, but it seems like there is a kind of fad going on to nail him for something egregious. I think it’s fair to acknowledge that a lot of New Yorkers - particularly old people in nursing homes would have died regardless of who was governor.
He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to admit wrongdoing or take criticism gracefully, but then what politician is?
If numbers weren’t reported properly, that’s certainly worth looking into, but people are talking about impeachment. That sounds extreme. Especially because everywhere you look in this country or the world, there is disagreement about the numbers - how and what should be counted.
I'm with you... Lets get to the numbers that are supported.
If Cuomo fudged the numbers..... He needs to take his lumps.