‘He Was Sending Seniors To Their Death’: Socialist Zohran Mamdani Downplays Anti-Police Tweets
'same time that he was sending seniors to their death'
Comer refers disgraced former NY Gov. Cuomo to DOJ for criminal prosecution: 'Caught red-handed'
Andrew Cuomo resigned as New York governor in August 2021 after a report by the state attorney general corroborated 11 women's sexual harassment claims against him. Investigators said that by groping employees and "making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature," the Democratic leader created a workplace "filled with fear and intimidation."
Cuomo, likely counting on New Yorkers to forgive or forget, now has his sights set on Gracie Mansion, the home of the mayor of New York City.
While currently fighting socialist Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani for dominance in the lead-up to the Democratic primary election in New York City's mayoral race, Cuomo may soon also have to fight federal criminal charges.
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) referred Cuomo to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution on Tuesday, evidently hoping Attorney General Pam Bondi will take the matter more seriously than her predecessor, who ignored the October referral of former Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio).
'It was a calculated cover-up.'
In his October criminal referral to former Attorney General Merrick Garland, Wenstrup, chair of the now-disbanded Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, noted, "Mr. Cuomo provided false statements to the Select Subcommittee in what appears to be a conscious, calculated effort to insulate himself from accountability. The Department of Justice should consider Mr. Cuomo's prior allegedly wrongful conduct when evaluating whether to charge him for the false statements."
Comer again seeks to hold the former governor accountable for allegedly making criminally false statements regarding his manipulation of a supposedly independent report concerning New York's COVID-19 nursing home tragedy.
"Andrew Cuomo is a man with a history of corruption and deceit, now caught red-handed lying to Congress during the Select Subcommittee's investigation into the COVID-19 nursing home tragedy in New York," Comer said in a statement.
"This wasn't a slip-up," continued Comer. "It was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility for the devastating loss of life in New York’s nursing homes. Let's be clear: Lying to Congress is a federal crime."
In March 2020, the Cuomo administration issued a directive stating, "No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to [a nursing home] solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19. [Nursing homes] are prohibited from requiring a hospitalized resident who is determined medically stable to be tested for COVID-19 prior to admission or readmission."
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic noted in a September report that as a result of this directive, over 9,000 COVID-19 patients were readmitted or admitted to nursing homes between March 25, 2020, and May 8, 2020, "causing predictable but disastrous consequences."
A February 2021 study undertaken by the Empire Center for Public Policy concluded that Cuomo's March 25 guidance "was associated with a statistically significant increase in resident deaths" — deaths Cuomo and his administration were later found to have undercounted.
"Statewide, the findings imply that COVID-positive new admissions between late March and early May, which numbered 6,327, were associated with several hundred and possibly more than 1,000 additional resident deaths," said the study.
'What difference does it make in any dimension to anyone about anything?'
Adding insult to injury, congressional investigators determined that Cuomo "personally drafted and edited portions" of a Feb. 11, 2021, New York State Department of Health report that blamed the spike in nursing home deaths on nursing home staff rather than on his directive.
"An analysis of the timing of admissions versus fatalities shows that it could not be the driver of nursing home infections or fatalities," said the report.
Last year, Cuomo testified before Congress in a seven-hour closed-door interview. The Democrat claimed he was unaware of his devastating March 25, 2020, nursing home directive and suggested that nursing homes were not actually forced to admit COVID-positive patients.
When asked about the real death count, Cuomo channeled another controversial Democrat's callousness, telling congressional investigators, "Let's say there's a 3,000 differential, 2,500. Who cares? What difference does it make in any dimension to anyone about anything? Do you know what I'm saying?"
While evidently prickled by this and other comments, House Republicans took issue with the former governor's claims that "(1) he was not involved in the review or drafting of this Report, (2) he did not have any discussions about a peer-review of the Report, and (3) he did not have any knowledge of individuals outside the NYSDOH reviewing the Report."
All three claims are, according to the Comer, "demonstrably false."
"Mr. Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Comer said in his Monday statement.
Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement obtained by NBC News, "This is nothing more than a meritless press release that was nonsense last year and is even more so now. As the DOJ constantly reminds people, this kind of transparent attempt at election interference and law-fare violates their own policies."
"Referrals like these — which have been also made against Planned Parenthood, Hillary Clinton, and Anthony Fauci — don't have to be resubmitted with a new administration, so the only point to doing this is politics," added Azzopardi.
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Andrew Cuomo's nursing home disaster declared 'medical malpractice': House report
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) committed "medical malpractice," according to the final investigative report from the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
The over 500-page report, released Monday, claimed that Cuomo "participated in medical malpractice and publicly covered up the total number of nursing home fatalities in New York."
'Cuomo's executive chamber decided to remove "out-of-facility" fatalities — such as nursing home residents who died from COVID after falling ill and being transferred to hospitals.'
Over the past several months, the subcommittee has released findings from its investigations, alleging that Cuomo made "criminally false statements" about a July 2020 New York State Department of Health report that downplayed the number of COVID-related nursing home deaths by 46%.
Despite testifying otherwise, Cuomo was allegedly "directly involved in editing" the health report.
The subcommittee concluded that Cuomo "Likely Gave False Statements to the Select Subcommittee in Violation of 18 U.S.C," a federal crime that could result in a five-year prison sentence.
In October, the subcommittee referred his alleged "criminally false statements" to the Department of Justice for prosecution. However, the referral does not compel the DOJ to proceed with the investigation.
The final report argued that Cuomo's deadly decision to place COVID patients in nursing homes was "antithetical to known science," was inconsistent with federal guidelines, and therefore amounted to "medical malpractice." He was also accused of attempting to "cover it up."
"Cuomo's executive chamber decided to remove 'out-of-facility' fatalities — such as nursing home residents who died from COVID after falling ill and being transferred to hospitals — from the July report, thus dramatically reducing the total death toll," the report stated.
Richard Azzopardi, Cuomo's spokesperson, told the New York Post that the report was "the same weak gruel the MAGA Republicans on this committee have been peddling for months if not years."
Azzopardi claimed that the Republican-led panel was out to get its "perceived political enemies."
"From the very beginning this has been an abuse of power and a waste of taxpayer money aimed at punishing perceived political enemies — like Dr. [Anthony] Fauci [then director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases], Governor Cuomo, and 'the deep state' — that does nothing to make us more prepared for the next pandemic," he told the news outlet.
Azzopardi added, "The DOJ — three times — the Manhattan DA, and others looked at the nursing home issue and found no wrongdoing, while the meritless civil lawsuit launched by the very same people who have been working arm and arm with this committee was tossed out of court."
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Andrew Cuomo faces criminal referral for alleged COVID-related cover-up
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing a criminal referral for allegedly making "criminally false statements" about a July 2020 report that downplayed the number of COVID-related nursing home deaths.
On Wednesday, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic referred Cuomo to the Department of Justice, arguing that he lied about his involvement in the New York State Department of Health's report. However, the subcommittee's formal referral does not compel the DOJ to move forward with further investigation.
'The Department of Justice should consider Mr. Cuomo's prior allegedly wrongful conduct.'
According to a draft of the subcommittee's criminal referral, the report undercounted the number of deaths by 46%.
Cuomo repeatedly claimed he did not recall seeing the report before its public release, Blaze News previously reported. However, evidence uncovered by the subcommittee allegedly revealed that Cuomo personally made edits to the document.
The referral, signed by Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), accused the former governor of making a "conscious, calculated effort" to skirt responsibility for the nursing home death scandal.
"Mr. Cuomo provided false statements to the select subcommittee in what appears to be a conscious, calculated effort to insulate himself from accountability," Wenstrup wrote in the referral letter. "The Department of Justice should consider Mr. Cuomo's prior allegedly wrongful conduct when evaluating whether to charge him for the false statements described."
A June 2020 email from Cuomo's former assistant allegedly revealed that he had made edits to the report before its release. He requested that it include language emphasizing how "community spread among employees or possibly visitation by family and friends were relevant factors" in the deaths. His edits were included in the final version of the report.
Additionally, congressional documents allegedly uncovered that Cuomo's aides requested "two copies" of the report be sent to his residence before its release.
Cuomo fired back at the criminal referral by filing his own against the subcommittee.
The former governor's criminal referral reads, "This interrogation far exceeded the Subcommittee's jurisdiction and appears to have been an improper effort to advantage the interests of private litigants against Governor Cuomo, warranting investigation by the Department of Justice."
Richard Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, stated, "This taxpayer-funded farce is an illegal use of Congress's investigative authority."
"The governor said he didn't recall because he didn't recall. The committee lied in their referral just as they have been lying to the public and the press," Azzopardi stated.
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Victims' families want Andrew Cuomo to face justice over COVID nursing home deaths following bombshell report
The families of victims who died from COVID while residing in New York nursing homes are urging the United States Department of Justice to open an investigation into former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The New York Post reported that the loved ones are pushing for charges against Cuomo after recently surfaced emails and congressional documents suggested that the disgraced governor personally altered a report that downplayed the state's nursing home deaths.
'He must be held accountable.'
In a letter to the DOJ, Peter Arbeeny, Vivian Zayas, and Janice Dean argued that Cuomo lied to members of Congress when he claimed during two separate hearings that he did not recall seeing the 2020 New York State Department Health report, let alone reviewing or editing it, before its release.
"We call on the Department of Justice to launch a full and fair investigation into Andrew Cuomo's statements to Congress, his coordination with other witnesses, and his role in covering up the nursing home death toll," the letter to the DOJ read.
"If it is found that he knowingly misled Congress and the American people or interfered with the congressional inquiry, he must be held accountable under the law," it continued. "The families who lost loved ones deserve the truth, and the public deserves to know that no one is above the law, especially those entrusted with public office."
Emails recently released by the New York Times revealed that Cuomo may have been more involved with the report than he told lawmakers.
A June 23, 2020, email from Cuomo's then-assistant, Farah Kennedy, suggested that the then-governor personally made edits to the report.
The email stated, "Governor's edits are attached for your review."
"The smaller text in the beginning is from your original document. He replaced your paragraph on page 3 beginning with 'But, like in all fifty states, there were Covid-positive cases,'" the email added.
"The larger text," Kennedy wrote, "is what he added."
Cuomo's alleged suggested edits included adding language that emphasized how "community spread among employees or possibly visitation by family and friends were relevant factors" in the nursing home deaths.
The Times also released congressional documents that revealed that the report had apparently been sent to his home, at his aide's request, before it was released.
The news outlet found that some of Cuomo's requested edits were included in the final report, which understated the nursing home deaths.
Vivian Zayas, co-founder of Voice for Seniors, told the Post, "He said he had nothing to do with the report."
"If he lied to Congress, he committed a crime. He should definitely be investigated," Zayas added. "We're going to see this through to the end. Cuomo needs to be held accountable."
Rich Azzopardi, a Cuomo spokesperson, told the Post on Sunday, "We are long past the point of absurd."
"We sympathize with every one of the 1 million-plus families who lost loved ones, but the continued attempts to purposefully distort and politically weaponize this pandemic are both transparent and sad," he told the Post.
Following the Times' report, Azzopardi stated, "Governor Cuomo was fully cooperative with the committee over two separate days, relayed everything he remembered about events that happened four years ago in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic, and nothing this MAGA committee has uncovered undermines that New York followed [then-President Donald] Trump's CDC nursing home policies or the DOH report's conclusion that COVID was spread in nursing homes by asymptomatic staff."
Some Democratic politicians have also pushed for Cuomo to be held accountable.
Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens) recently stated, "I've stood with the families of nursing homes and will continue to stand with them to hold the former governor accountable."
"Andrew Cuomo has consistently lied and gaslit the public in pursuit of his book deal and political ambitions," Kim continued. "Now, we must hold him accountable and seize this opportunity to fix our broken long-term care system."
City Councilman Lincoln Restler (D) accused Cuomo of providing "misleading and inaccurate" testimony.
"Time and again, he reveals himself to be someone New Yorkers cannot trust and who does not belong in public office," Restler said.
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New Yorkers are done with Gov. Cuomo: Poll shows two-thirds want him to either resign now or never seek re-election
New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has had an exceptionally rough pandemic — politically speaking.
- His policies led to the deaths of thousands in the Empire State's long-term care facilities.
- He tried to cover up the deaths he caused.
- He lied to New York lawmakers about federal investigations of his deadly polices.
- Reports surfaced that he gave preferential pandemic treatment to family members.
- Multiple women came forward to accuse him of sexual improprieties and harassment.
- Several politicians, staffers, and media members shared stories of his bullying.
- He accepted millions of dollars to write a book touting his leadership during a pandemic.
It's no wonder that, according to a new Siena College poll, New Yorkers have tired of his antics and want him gone.
What did the poll say?
The Siena survey of New York voters conducted June 22-29 revealed that nearly a quarter (23%) said Cuomo should resign immediately.
Another 39% said he should finish his term but not seek re-election in 2022.
Only a third of voters (33%) — including just 43% of Democrats — said he should run for re-election.
Voters also told Siena that, if Cuomo runs in 2022, only 35% of them are prepared to re-elect him. A majority (56%) told pollsters that they would prefer someone else — slightly worse than the 37%-to-53% results of the same question last month, Siena said.
Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg noted in a statement that, though it might be considered "good news" that "only 23 percent of New Yorkers want him to resign," the news isn't that great when combined with the voters who don't want him to seek re-election: "62 percent say he should not run for a fourth term."
The main pandemic-related topic plaguing Cuomo, according the survey's results, is the nursing home scandal. While New Yorkers still give him positive marks for managing the state's vaccination program, keeping people updated with accurate information, and overseeing the reopening of New York, he is underwater — significantly underwater — when it comes to how he handled nursing homes during the pandemic.
By a nearly three-to-one margin (60% to 22%), New Yorkers said he did a "bad job" versus a "good job" on the nursing home issue.
Not surprisingly, 81% of Republicans said he did a bad job. And 64% of independents said the same.
The bad news for Cuomo: a plurality of Democrats (49%) agreed with Republicans, saying Cuomo did a bad job on the nursing home scandal. Only 30% said he did a good job.
Siena poll shows Cuomo’s nursing home scandal is still killing him https://t.co/PPc4Q1nZuL https://t.co/d5UAxEdYn0
— Chris Field (@ChrisMField) 1625169813.0
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