(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been ordered to appear before House investigators zeroing in on the infamous scandal involving nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic subpoenaed Cuomo as part of their investigation into the deaths of elderly individuals in New York nursing homes, which occurred following an order by the then-governor.
“Cuomo implemented nursing home policies that had deadly consequences for New York’s most vulnerable population,” Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup wrote in a press statement.
He added: “Not only did the former Governor put the elderly in harm’s way, but he also attempted to cover-up his failures by hiding the true nursing home death rate.”
Even the powerful former governor of New York cannot stonewall legitimate oversight from our committees. https://t.co/C3F9qQJeEy
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) March 5, 2024
House Republicans have also demanded that former Cuomo officials, including infamous aide Melissa DeRosa, appear for transcribed interviews.
DeRosa privately told Democratic lawmakers that the Cuomo administration “froze” data to avoid scrutiny from federal prosecutors and then-President Donald Trump, the New York Post reported in February 2021.
Despite being hailed as a Coronavirus hero initially, Cuomo’s fall from grace commenced shortly after he ordered nursing homes to admit individuals infected with Coronavirus, despite the raised risks and criticisms at the time.
More than 15,000 nursing home residents died due to COVID-related deaths after Cuomo’s order.
Even worse, a damning report by the state’s attorney general revealed that Cuomo undercounted death data by nearly 50 percent, in what appeared to be an attempt to conceal disturbing facts about the order.
Wenstrup said Cuomo attempted to hide data to save his political career and demanded he face tough questions about this order.
“Cuomo owes answers to the 15,000 families who lost loved ones in New York nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the subcommittee chairman wrote.
Cuomo resigned from office after accusations that he subjected several staffers to sexual harassment, according to the state’s attorney general, Letitia James. Since his departure, Cuomo has faced scathing questions about his administration and policies related to the handling of the pandemic.
Wenstrup clarified that the purpose of the subpoena is to learn the circumstances behind Cuomo’s order to ensure that “fatal mistakes never happen again.”
He continued, “It is well past time for Cuomo to stop dodging accountability to Congress and start answering honestly to the American people.”
House Republicans launched the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic once they clinched the congressional majority following the midterm elections in 2022. They aimed to seek answers on government blunders in response to COVID-19 and are also investigating the origins of the virus.
🚨🚨 My statement on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic announcing subpoena of former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo 🚨🚨
“Promises made. Promises kept. The day of reckoning has finally arrived for disgraced Former Governor Andrew Cuomo as he must answer for his…
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) March 5, 2024
