A senior adviser to the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, told the state’s top Democratic lawmakers that the government withheld data on COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes to avoid federal scrutiny, according to a new bombshell report.
The revelation sparked condemnations and even rumors about impeachment in Albany, the state capital. Rep. Lee Zeldin, RN.Y., wants the Department of Justice to open an obstruction to the investigation of justice.
“The families of thousands of elderly people killed in New York deserve responsibility and justice for the real consequences of the policy of the nursing home fatally failed by Governor Cuomo and the continuous attempts to cover it up. Of course, what is happening here is criminal,” he said.
The New York Post reported for the first time that Melissa DeRosa, the governor’s secretary, told leader Empire State Democrats that the government feared that the data could “be used against us” by the Justice Department during a video conference.
CUOMO ADMIN SAYS THAT TOTAL CORONAVIRUS DEATHS IN NURSING HOUSES IS EVEN GREATER
The DOJ began investigating coronavirus deaths in nursing homes in four states in August – and New York was one of them.
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – 09/09/2020: Melissa DeRosa Secretary of the Governor attends Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that restaurants can be opened for internal dining on September 30 at the 3rd ave office. (Photo by Lev Radin / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images)
“We were in a position where we were not sure whether what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we gave you, what we started to say, would be used against us while we were not sure if there would be an investigation,” DeRosa told lawmakers, according to the Post’s report.
Rich Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Cuomo, placed some of the blame on the Trump administration.
“We explained that the Trump administration was in the midst of a politically motivated effort to blame the Democratic states for the deaths of COVID,” he said on Thursday night. “And that we were cooperating with the production of federal documents – and that was the priority. And now that it’s over, we can talk to the state legislature. That said, we were working simultaneously to complete the audit of the information they requested. “
NY SUBCONTRAINED DEATH OF CORONAVIRUS IN NURSING HOUSE UP TO 50%, SAYS THE STATE AG
The news of the call generated outrage among state Republicans and other critics of Cuomo’s conduct, already outraged by his March 25 guideline, which ordered thousands of virus-infected seniors to return to nursing homes, nursing homes and other health care settings. long term.
“The second most powerful person in the state government and principal adviser to Governor Cuomo has admitted on video the deliberate and intentional violation of state laws and what clearly represents a federal obstruction of justice,” said Republican State President Nick Langworthy. “Andrew Cuomo abused his power and destroyed the confidence placed in the governor’s position. The impeachment process and discussions must begin immediately.”
Freedom of information data released on Wednesday revealed that the death toll in nursing homes was much higher than previously reported. And those figures came just two weeks after the state attorney general found that the figures released before the end of January were also underreported.
“It seems that every decision that comes out of the governor’s office is about Team Cuomo protecting its own image and interests,” State Representative William Barclay, the Republican leader of the chamber, told Fox News on Thursday. “More than 15,000 elderly people died in adult care centers, but the governor was clearly more concerned with a DOJ investigation and political charges.”
In response to a separate request for freedom of information this week, state health officials told the Associated Press that more than 9,000 virus patients were sent to nursing homes in the state before Cuomo reversed the directive on May 10.
“This government intentionally concealed information from the public, the press, legislators and the thousands of families who lost loved ones,” said Barclay. “That’s why closed-door conversations are not going to work. If that doesn’t make it painfully obvious that we need to issue subpoenas and hold public hearings, I don’t know what will happen.”
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Even Democratic lawmakers in the call resisted the government’s apology.
“In a pandemic, when you want the public to trust the public health authorities, and there is a clear feeling that they are not … being frank with you, this is really difficult,” said state senator Rachel May during the Link.