Cuomo says, ‘You can’t allow inaccurate information to go unanswered.’ He’s currently under investigation for doing just that.
New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who is currently under investigation for underreporting coronavirus-related nursing home deaths in his state — lectured his critics on Monday by saying, "You can't allow inaccurate information to go unanswered."
The governor's peculiar choice of words may raise eyebrows, given the fact that he is currently being probed by federal agents for essentially doing just that: allowing inaccurate information to go on unamended and unacknowledged.
For months — as allegations mounted against the governor suggesting that he was misrepresenting the death toll at nursing home facilities — he demurred, pointed fingers at his opponents, and downright rejected the claims.
What did he say?
"I want to set the record straight on nursing homes," the governor said at the press conference Monday morning, during which he only went so far as acknowledging his office "created a void by not producing enough public information fast enough," before lashing out at his political opponents.
Instead of taking responsibility for his implementation of a deadly policy that likely led to the deaths of thousands of elderly New Yorkers and for obscuring data to make the situation look less horrific, he blamed the "toxic political environment" in America for his newfound infamy.
"Conspiracy theories and politics and rumors fill[ed] the void," Cuomo alleged, then adding: "You can't allow inaccurate information to go unanswered. Twitter [and] bogus reports become a reality at one point."
Gov. Cuomo: "You can't allow inaccurate information to go unanswered. Twitter, bogus reports become a reality at on… https://t.co/QJ1oP5O6Xp— The Hill (@The Hill)1614006060.0
What's the background?
Last month, after reviewing data from the governor's office and the state's health department, New York state Democratic Attorney General Letitia James accused the governor of undercounting the number of coronavirus-related deaths at nursing homes in the state by as much as 50%.
James concluded the state was only counting deaths that occurred at actual nursing home facilities in its tabulation, rather than including deaths which occurred at hospitals after residents were transferred there to receive additional medical care.
That report set off a groundswell of criticism against the governor, including scrutiny from left-leaning media outlets that had previously celebrated his leadership bravado and supposedly awe-inspiring handling of the pandemic in months past.
Just over a week later, Cuomo' secretary Melissa DeRosa appeared to acknowledge what many had already surmised to be true: that the governor's office had intentionally obscured the death count to cover up the consequences of the administration's fatal mistake. Early on in the pandemic, the Cuomo administration had implemented an ill-advised policy that forced nursing homes to accept coronavirus-infected patients discharged from the hospital.
Around the same time as DeRosa's admission, a bombshell report by the Associated Press came out alleging that thousands more virus-infected patients were sent back to nursing homes than previously reported.
NYC Mayor de Blasio twists the knife following accusations that Gov. Cuomo threatened a lawmaker: 'The bullying is nothing new,' this is 'classic Andrew Cuomo'
Anyone who has spent more than 15 minutes observing New York politics knows there is no love lost between New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D).
So imagine the glee the mayor has experienced after watching Cuomo get caught in the middle of a massive — and growing — scandal centered on thousands of nursing home deaths that occurred as a result of the governor's order to ship COVID patients to long-term care facilities.
The latest disgraceful chapter came Wednesday afternoon when New York state Assemblyman Ron Kim — a Democrat who has been an ardent critic of what he has called the governor's "BS" about the nursing home cover-up — said that Cuomo called him multiple times and threatened to ruin him.
Naturally, Team Cuomo claimed Kim was lying about the conversation and that the governor has never threatened to destroy anyone.
But de Blasio, who has called for a probe into the nursing home scandal, wasted no time in pouncing on the newest Cuomo imbroglio, telling anyone who would listen that this "bullying" from the governor isn't new. In fact, he said, it fits a pattern with the governor, calling it "classic Andrew Cuomo."
What did de Blasio say about the governor's antics?
MSNBC's "Morning Joe" had Hizzoner on the show Thursday morning to discuss the Kim-Cuomo dustup, and he was more than happy to offer his take.
"You know Gov. Cuomo," co-host Mika Brzezinski began, "have you ever heard of anything like that from Gov. Cuomo?"
The mayor was prepared to bury Cuomo on live TV.
"It's a sad thing to say, Mika, but that's classic Andrew Cuomo," de Blasio said. "A lot of people in New York state have received those phone calls."
Apparently being a bully is Cuomo's M.O. — at least according the mayor: "The bullying is nothing new."
He went on to lament the governor's reported treatment of Kim — and anyone else who has had the misfortune of crossing Andrew Cuomo.
"I believe Ron Kim and it's very, very sad. No public servant, no person who is telling the truth, should be treated that way," de Blasio continued. "The threats, the belittling, the demand that someone change their statement right that moment — many, many times I've heard that and I know a lot of other people in the state that have heard that."
Does the mayor really believe Kim?
MSNBC co-host Joe Scarborough asked if de Blasio really believed Kim.
"One hundred percent," the mayor responded. "First of all, I know him, he's a good public servant. I've always seen him as a person of integrity."
But it was more than just Kim's reputation that made the incident believable to de Blasio, there's also Cuomo's "sad" record of behavior.
"It's just the script is exactly what a lot of us have heard before," he said. "It's not a surprise. It's sad. It's not the way people should be treated, and a lot of people get intimidated by that. I give him credit for not being intimidated."
'The Bullying Is Nothing New,' De Blasio Says Of Cuomo | Morning Joe | MSNBCyoutu.be
Even New York Democratic lawmakers are calling 'BS' after Gov. Cuomo's latest attempt to shift the blame in nursing home cover-up: 'Lie on top of a lie'
New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo spent a big chunk of Monday attempting to shift the blame — again — over the nursing home scandal. But not even his fellow Democrats are falling for it. Some of them are calling him a liar and pointing out his "BS" for blatantly trying to mislead New Yorkers.
What's the background?
Cuomo has been facing increased pressure about the scandal after the Associated Press revealed Thursday that thousands more coronavirus patients were sent to nursing homes than Cuomo had previously admitted.
The scandal of the admittance revelation was compounded by a New York Post report the same day that top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa admitted to state Democratic leaders that Cuomo's office hid nursing home data to blunt pressure coming from the federal level and to avoid bad publicity they knew they would get if former President Donald Trump got ahold of the information.
During a news conference in Albany Monday, Cuomo blamed nursing home staff for spreading the virus and repeated his insistence that his policy of sending coronavirus patients to nursing homes was not responsible for the wave of nursing home deaths.
Cuomo also tried to explain away what his aide had admitted and the fact that his office did not share the nursing home data publicly with lawmakers. The governor blamed a U.S. Department of Justice probe into his nursing home policy for delays in releasing the death tally, the Post noted. Cuomo claimed that his office had told state lawmakers about the probe and data delay.
Democrats call out Cuomo
New York Democratic legislators are not buying what he's selling.
Democratic state Assemblyman Ron Kim said "all of it is BS" and a cover-up, the Post reported.
"They could have given us the information back in May and June of last year. They chose not to," the lawmaker said, ignoring Cuomo's claim that the DOJ probe was the cause of the delay and instead pointing to DeRosa's admission that the governor's office hid the information over fears that "the information would be weaponized against them."
Another Democrat, state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, said on Twitter that Cuomo was not telling the truth when he claimed he had told the legislature about the DOJ probe causing a delay in sharing the data. According to the lawmaker, she had to read about the probe in the Post.
"No, @NYGovCuomo, you did not tell the entire Senate or Assembly that there was a DOJ investigation, as the reason why you didn't share the nursing home numbers," Biaggi wrote. "I found out about a DOJ investigation with the rest of NY'ers in the @nypost story Thursday night."
No, @NYGovCuomo , you did not tell the *entire* Senate or Assembly that there was a DOJ investigation, as the reaso… https://t.co/4XHtqfYZtn— Alessandra Biaggi (@Alessandra Biaggi)1613420429.0
Another Democratic lawmaker, Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, said Cuomo was blatantly trying to mislead the public to cover up past lies.
"The legislature had no knowledge of a DOJ inquiry," Niou tweeted. "The legislature at a public hearing asked questions of the executive and of the health commissioner and then was lied to. The things said in this last press conference were frightening because for their blatant goal to mislead."
The legislature had no knowledge of a DOJ inquiry. The legislature at a public hearing asked questions of the execu… https://t.co/TYFZMiA61S— Yuh-Line Niou (@Yuh-Line Niou)1613421738.0
Democratic state Sen. Julia Salazar backed up Biaggi's and Niou's claims and called Cuomo's claims "a lie on top of a lie" in a Twitter thread Monday afternoon.
"The Governor keeps trying to evade responsibility for his misjudgment (an understatement) in concealing the number of nursing home deaths by claiming that he'd informed the legislature. But this contradicts the point of his administration's private call with legislators last week," she wrote in response to Cuomo's presser. "If the Governor had actually informed the legislature months ago that his office was withholding the data they had on total nursing home deaths, there would've been no need for them to have a call with a group of legislators last week to inform them of this for the first time."
"Governor can claim (as he's done) that they withheld the data bc they thought it would be used against them by the DOJ(!)," she continued. "But claiming they informed the legislature is a lie on top of a lie. If he'd been honest in the first place, he may have had one bad news cycle. But now?"
She went on to blast the governor for a string of false statements and a wild claim that defied the known nature of Albany to leak secrets.
If the Governor had actually informed the legislature months ago that his office was withholding the data they had… https://t.co/vrqKdywMQ8— Julia Salazar (@Julia Salazar)1613419937.0
Of the false statements that we’ve heard from the Governor today, the wildest one to me is that he expects us to be… https://t.co/QudGnpxaVh— Julia Salazar (@Julia Salazar)1613422814.0
State Sen. John Liu ripped Cuomo for misleading the public and "withholding information the the public deserves to know," the Post repotted.
Liu, along with more than a dozen other New York Democratic state senators, has joined Republicans to back a bill calling for Cuomo's emergency pandemic powers to be revoked.
Facing questions about NY undercounting COVID nursing home deaths, Gov. Cuomo lashes out: 'Who cares? ... They died!'
New York state Democratic Attorney General Letitia James dropped a bombshell report on Thursday alleging that the number of coronavirus-related deaths at nursing homes in New York could be undercounted by as much as 50%. When New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) was pressed about the accuracy of the state's nursing home deaths, he lashed out with a response that the New York Post called "callous."
The scathing report found that the state counted only coronavirus-related deaths that occurred at nursing homes and long-term care facilities, but did not count nursing home residents who died at hospitals after being transferred there for medical care.
During a press conference on Friday, WHEC-TV reporter Jennifer Kewke asked Cuomo, "Governor, your staff is often unapologetically aggressive when it comes to defending your policies, particularly on social media. But in this case, many of the people who disagree with this nursing home policy have a very personal connection to it, they lost a loved one during this pandemic with a connection to a nursing home. So, the policy itself aside...who was right, who was wrong... just as a father and son yourself, what would your message be to those families today?
Cuomo responded, "What I would say is everyone did the best they could."
Cuomo then passed the blame on the federal government, "When I say the State Department of Health as the report said, The State Department of Health followed federal guidance so if you think there was a mistake then go talk to the federal government."
"If you look at New York State, we have a lower percentage of deaths in nursing homes than other states. A third of all deaths in this nation are from nursing homes," the Democratic governor said. "New York state we're only about 28% … but were below the national average in number of deaths in nursing homes."
Cuomo then blurted, "But who cares?" 33 [percent], 28 [percent], died in a hospital, died in a nursing home—they died!"
@NYGovCuomo @MarcACaputo Cuomo now going after “the experts” — his air quotes — for misleading him about “asymptomatic spread”— Tom Elliott (@Tom Elliott)1611943574.0
Even the Washington Post called Cuomo's response a "bad 'who cares' answer on coronavirus nursing home data."
"From a public policy perspective, we should care," wrote Aaron Blake. "A death is indeed a death, but there are major and very valid questions about whether nursing home policies led to unnecessary ones."
Cuomo has been questioned on his leadership regarding nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 25, Cuomo instituted a directive that took coronavirus-infected elderly patients who were discharged from hospitals and allowed them to be transferred to New York's nursing homes to free up hospital beds.
Cuomo's controversial directive was rescinded on May 10. The directive has been removed from the state's health department website.
A report from the Associated Press in May claimed that more than 4,300 recovering coronavirus patients were sent to nursing homes because of Cuomo's directive.
Nearly half of all COVID-19 deaths in the United States are connected to nursing homes and long-term care centers, according to a June report from the New York Times.
Commentary: The truth always comes out eventually
First, the darkness.
There's a lot of it these days, I know. But New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his Wormtongue of a brother, Chris of CNN, stand out in particular.
The lengths they are going to cover up the tracks of their dance with death are remarkable most of all for their desire to actually be seen doing it. In broad daylight and live on camera. The governor never seems satisfied with his last lie on the topic of sentencing the elderly in group living facilities to their deaths from COVID-19, now instead of saying that he was merely following the recommendations of the federal government that it never happened at all.
But reality says that Gov. Cuomo plowed about 6,000 COVID-positive seniors back into nursing homes, which contributed to the state of New York all by itself competing for the title of worst hit nations of the entire world. Usually, that would be something journalism would help clear up.
Instead, Chris Cuomo went the fake tough guy route – AGAIN – with Sen. Ted Cruz, who came on his show to declare on behalf of all decent people that the emperor and his court jester brother have no clothes.
"Doesn't it bother you," asked Cruz of the Cuomos' perpetual deceitful incantations over the graves of those they led to COVID slaughter. Well, not only does it not, but they seem to take a perverse joy in letting everyone know with their megaphone that whatever you think of them, you will never be able to hold them accountable for any of it.
But accountability, sooner or later, comes for us all. And in another corner of the world, its heavy hand led to light in the darkness.
Model Chrissy Teigen and singer John Legend announced via social media that they lost their baby due to bleeding complications in Teigen's pregnancy. She told of the "kind of pain we've never felt before." She told of how she and her husband called "this little guy in my belly" Jack. She told of how, through it all, they were "grateful for the life we have."
How humbling to see such grace and clarity flow through the personage of a grieving mother. In some ways, it could be said she lost everything. Yet there she is, showing all of us that somehow, through it all, the good, the true and the beautiful still shine.
Because she covered up nothing. She laid herself bare. She acknowledged the truth. It was a life that was lost. A boy. With a name. Not a statistic. Not a clump of cells. Not a choice. She told him she was sorry his road was so short and so hard. She told him he would always be loved.
This is the way. This is the road to salvation. Whether at the beginning, like dear Jack. Or at the end, like those cursed to live in a nursing home ransacked by Gov. Cuomo, to understand without fail that each and every one of our lives are heaven sent and worthy of dignity and protection from undue harm.
If we did, oh how much of this world would be different. The stupid presidential debates. The streets of our burning and plundered cities. The Supreme Court. The pursuits of science.
Everything.
Ted Cruz and CNN's Chris Cuomo clash in fiery debate over Gov. Cuomo's COVID-19 policies: 'Trump broke you guys'
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and CNN host Chris Cuomo engaged in a heated exchange Wednesday night when the two butted heads over the handling of COVID-19 by the anchor's brother, New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
During the "Cuomo Prime Time" interview, Cuomo and Cruz discussed President Donald Trump's comments at the first presidential debate, the Proud Boys, and Cruz's new book. Tensions flared throughout the interview, but especially when Cruz criticized Gov. Cuomo's coronavirus response.
Chris Cuomo said that the governors in Texas, Florida, and Georgia didn't do enough coronavirus testing, which he claims hindered reopening efforts.
"I get that your show wants to attack Texas, and Florida, and Georgia because they have Republican governors," Cruz retorted. "We have also had much, much lower death rates than many other parts of the country, and it's political, the attacks you're making."
"I think what we should be focused on is, yes, testing. I'm a big proponent of testing. We need to do more testing," Cruz said. "But we need people to go back to work."
Cruz alleged Cuomo was politicizing the coronavirus pandemic, to which the CNN anchor said it "couldn't be less political for me."
Then the Texas senator sternly asserted, "Let me say something. There is something disgusting that Democrats are doing, that Joe Biden does, and that you do, which is you try to blame the people who've lost their lives on your political enemies."
Cruz continued to spar with the TV host, "And that's just not right. ... It's not right at all and it's particularly not right, Chris, when your brother has presided over the state with the highest death rate in the country."
According to Worldometers, New York has the second-highest COVID-19 deaths per million in the U.S. at 1,709, trailing only New Jersey, which has 1,829. Texas is ranked 18th in COVID-19 deaths per million with 556.
"New York's record will stand for itself," Cuomo defended his brother.
"I know your brother didn't want those people to lose their lives, but you shouldn't play politics," Cruz said.
Cuomo retorted sarcastically, "Oh, that's good. So you don't think he intentionally killed them. That's good. That's very charitable of you, Ted."
"Of course not," Cruz proclaimed. "But I do think we could have a very reasonable policy discussion about the policy mistakes in New York and New Jersey of sending COVID-positive patients into nursing homes; I think that was a very serious policy mistake."
Cuomo smarmily asked, "Mm-hmm, because that didn't happen all over the country, right?"
"No, it didn't happen in Texas," Cruz declared. "That's one of the reasons why the death rate in New York is four times the death rate in Texas."
Cuomo then launched a verbal attack on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The senator asked Cuomo, "Was is it a mistake when your brother implemented a policy that nursing homes had to accept COVID-positive patients and endangered the lives of tens of thousands of seniors in New York state?"
"My brother was the first one to say that there was a learning curve and that mistakes were made and they changed things as soon as they could," Cuomo replied.
"But then don't be a hypocrite about it," Cruz shot back.
On June 29, Republicans Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon asked Christi Grimm, principal deputy inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to launch an investigation into five states for their policies regarding placing coronavirus-infected patients in nursing homes and long-term care centers.
"As reported by the media, the governors of a handful of states in which some nursing homes struggled to provide safe and adequate care 'actually ordered nursing homes to accept patients with active COVID-19 infections who were being discharged from hospitals.' Governors issuing such directives include those in New York, New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania, and Michigan," the lawmakers' letter stated.
All five states that implemented the policies have Democratic governors.
A report from the New York Times released in late June stated that nursing home COVID-19 deaths accounted for 43% of all coronavirus deaths in the United States.
A report from the Associated Press released in August claimed that New York's official count of nursing home residents who died "could actually be a significant undercount."
Cuomo and Cruz also faced off in a contentious argument about President Donald Trump's comments during the first presidential debate. Cuomo brought up the Proud Boys, to which Cruz said, "I've condemned the Proud Boys long ago. I think white supremacists, Klansmen, Nazis are ignorant, bigoted morons."
Cruz said he wishes President Trump "had been much clearer in his denunciation." Then Cruz brought up Biden's association with Robert Byrd, who was at one time an "Exalted Cyclops" of the KKK, which is the highest-ranking position in a chapter.
"The press is partisan in this regard. Ten years ago, 2010, Joe Biden gave a eulogy for Robert Byrd, who was a Grand Cyclops of the KKK," Cruz said.
Cuomo responded, "You're really gonna go with that? I know you're a master debater ... you're gonna go with that weak-ass argument here? Byrd, who had a complete enlightenment about how hate was wrong, who changed his life, who spoke about it, who changed his ways?"
"Chris, have you ever eulogized a Klansman? I haven't," Cruz retaliated.
"Chris, there was a time when CNN actually cared about being journalistic and talking about facts," Cruz explained. "Donald Trump broke you guys."
"I mean, your entire show, your entire network now is just how much you hate Trump," Cruz added.
"Chris, do you actually want to talk substance?" @TedCruz asks @ChrisCuomo."We are talking substance. I just like… https://t.co/Y8NwMkhmjZ— Cuomo Prime Time (@Cuomo Prime Time)1601519245.0
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"Who Cares" Cuomo's Callous Response to Nursing Home Deaths Will Send Chills Down Your Spine