House Panel Refers Andrew Cuomo To DOJ For Criminal Prosecution Over COVID Testimony

A House panel investigating the COVID pandemic referred former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to the Justice Department for investigation on Wednesday over “multiple criminally false statements” he allegedly made to lawmakers.

Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) made the criminal referral, alleging that Cuomo lied to the committee about his handling of COVID. Specifically, Wenstrup said that Cuomo lied to House lawmakers about his knowledge of a report that was used to defend a New York policy that placed COVID patients in nursing homes.

At issue is Cuomo’s statements to lawmakers about his knowledge of a New York State Department of Health report from July 6, 2020. The report was used to explain an earlier policy put forward by the state telling nursing homes they could not deny admission to people who had a confirmed or suspected case of COVID.

Under Cuomo’s policies, there were around 15,000 COVID nursing home deaths, which was a much greater number than the figure first reported by New York. According to House investigators, Cuomo lied to lawmakers about his role in reviewing and editing the July 6 report and lied about discussing other aspects of the report during an interview with lawmakers on June 11.

“Mr. Cuomo made multiple criminally false statements, including that he was neither involved in the drafting nor the review of the July 6 Report. Documents establish that statement to be false,” Wenstrup wrote to the DOJ. “Mr. Cuomo also testified that he did not have any discussions about the July 6 Report being peer reviewed. Documents show that statement to be false. And Mr. Cuomo testified that he did not know whether the July 6 Report was reviewed by persons outside of the NYSDOH. Documents again demonstrate that statement to be false.”

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Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

“This taxpayer-funded farce is an illegal use of Congress’s investigative authority,” Azzopardi told The New York Times. “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.”

Wenstrup said that witnesses and documentation evidence backed up his panel’s assertions against Cuomo.

“Andrew Cuomo repeatedly lied to Congress, and he must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” Wenstrup said. “This deliberate and self-serving attempt to avoid accountability for the thousands of lives lost in New York nursing homes during the pandemic will not stand.”