Cuomo Faces Calls For DOJ Investigation After Allegedly Editing Nursing Home Report

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) is facing increasing pressure to be investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) after new evidence suggests he personally altered a report that downplayed nursing home deaths during the COVID pandemic. The families of those who lost loved ones in nursing homes are calling for accountability, accusing Cuomo of lying to Congress about his role.

The families, led by Peter Arbeeny, Vivian Zayas, and Janice Dean, sent a letter to the DOJ demanding a full investigation into Cuomo’s actions. They argue that Cuomo misled Congress when he claimed he did not review or edit the New York State Department of Health’s 2020 report before its release. The families believe that Cuomo’s alleged actions caused the true extent of nursing home deaths to be hidden from the public.

Emails released by The New York Times indicate that Cuomo’s assistant sent him the report for review. The message included the phrase, “Governor’s edits are attached,” raising questions about Cuomo’s earlier statements. His changes seemed to shift the blame for nursing home deaths to community spread rather than government policies.

Zayas, whose mother died in a nursing home, stated that Cuomo must be held accountable if he lied to Congress. “We’re going to see this through to the end,” she said, determined to get justice for the victims.

Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi denied the accusations, claiming they were politically motivated. He argued that Cuomo had followed federal guidelines during the pandemic, but several Democratic politicians, including Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-NY), have called for a full investigation.