The House subcommittee investigating the handling of the COVID-19 plandemic subpoenaed former Democrat New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for his administration’s handling of nursing homes.

Specifically, the former governor’s policy directing nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients from hospitals.

The directive is widely seen as a significant factor that led to increased deaths in nursing homes.

Although no charges have been brought against Cuomo, he has faced severe criticism for the directive.

“@COVIDSelect announces a subpoena to compel former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to appear for a deposition. Governor Cuomo forced New York nursing homes to accept COVID-19 positive patients. Americans died. Accountability and honesty are non-negotiable,” the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic stated Tuesday.

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ABC News reports:

The subpoena and letter from the Republican-led subcommittee is the latest development for the former New York governor, who has faced intense scrutiny into his administration’s handling of nursing homes during the pandemic. In 2021, ABC News reported that federal prosecutors in Brooklyn were investigating Cuomo’s coronavirus task force with a focus on nursing homes. No charges were brought.

“Accordingly, attached to this letter please find a subpoena for you to appear for a deposition,” Tuesday’s letter states.

The subpoena was signed by Republican Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the Oversight Committee, which authorizes the subcommittee to issue subpoenas. It requests a May 24 deposition in Washington.

Cuomo, who was at one point heralded for his leadership during the pandemic and became known for his daily briefings, has defended the March 2020 directive, which he reversed weeks later. He said it was based squarely on federal guidelines and accused those investigating the issue of “playing politics.”

“On March 25, 2020, Cuomo issued a ‘must-admit’ order that forced New York nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit or re-admit potentially contagious and untested COVID-19 patients. The consequences were deadly,” the subcommittee wrote.

“It was reported that more than 15,000 individuals died in New York nursing homes and long-term care facilities during the Cuomo Administration. Early in the pandemic, science proved that age was the most important factor for predicting COVID mortality. Cuomo ignored this fact.”

“According to an investigation conducted by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Cuomo Administration undercounted the total number of nursing home deaths by APPROXIMATELY 50%. Cuomo engaged in this coverup to shift political blame away from his administration. What medical advice was given to Governor Cuomo, if any? Cuomo put New York’s most vulnerable population directly in harm’s way and then tried to cover it up. Now, he is obstructing @COVIDSelect’s investigation into his policy failures,” the subcommittee added.

“Governor Cuomo has repeatedly tried to delay our investigation:

  • Ignored good faith attempts to negotiate interview dates & times
  • Provided unreasonable availability — 9 months after the original interview request
  • Failed to respond to additional requests for weeks

Today’s subpoena will force Governor Cuomo to account for his decisions and answer for these deadly policy failures,” the subcommittee wrote.

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In response, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi called members of the subcommittee clowns and said the subpoena is an “election year stunt.”

Per CBS News:

Cuomo will now have to testify under subpoena before a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee. But Team Cuomo is crying foul, pointing out that the subpoena was unnecessary because the governor offered to testify, and even offered to provide written answers prior to his appearance.

“This is an obvious press charade: they issue a subpoena as a press release,” Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said, adding that the issue had been reviewed three times by the Justice Department and the Manhattan DA.

“Do your job,” Azzopardi fumed. “Ukrainian soldiers are throwing stones at Russian tanks because we haven’t sent ammunition and we still don’t have a budget. Instead, they continue to play politics with COVID and weaponize people’s pain and loss of loved ones. Congress is officially a circus and they are nothing but clowns.”

The chair of the subcommittee said Cuomo owes answers to the 15,000 families who lost loved ones in New York nursing homes during the pandemic.

 

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