The families of nursing home residents who died during the COVID pandemic are urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) over his role in downplaying the death toll. Recently uncovered emails suggest that Cuomo personally edited a 2020 report to minimize the impact of his administration’s policies on nursing homes.
A group of family members, including Peter Arbeeny, Vivian Zayas, and Janice Dean, sent a letter to the DOJ asking for an investigation into Cuomo’s actions. The letter accuses Cuomo of misleading Congress during hearings in which he denied editing or reviewing the New York State Department of Health’s report on nursing home deaths. The families want the DOJ to hold Cuomo accountable if it is found that he knowingly deceived Congress.
The emails, obtained by The New York Times, show that Cuomo’s assistant sent him the report with the message, “Governor’s edits are attached.” This contradicts Cuomo’s previous statements, where he claimed he had no involvement in the report. His changes reportedly downplayed the state’s responsibility, shifting the blame to community spread.
Zayas, co-founder of Voice for Seniors, said that the families will not stop until justice is served. “If he lied to Congress, he must be held accountable,” she said.
Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, called the accusations absurd and suggested that the families were attempting to politicize the pandemic. However, some Democratic officials, including Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-NY), have supported the call for Cuomo to be investigated.
