House Committee Refers Andrew Cuomo to DOJ for Allegedly False Testimony on COVID-19 Response
A U.S. House panel investigating the COVID-19 pandemic has referred former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to the Department of Justice, alleging he made "criminally false statements" during his testimony in June 2024. The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, led by Republicans, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland asserting that Cuomo knowingly misled the panel regarding a report on nursing home infections and deaths released in July 2020.
During his June testimony, Cuomo denied involvement in drafting or reviewing the controversial report, which mandated nursing homes to readmit recovering COVID-19 patients. However, the subcommittee claims to possess documents countering his assertions, including evidence of his edits on the report and emails indicating his staff’s involvement.
The referral states that Cuomo’s testimony lacked truthfulness, citing contradictory evidence, including handwritten notes and email communications concerning the report. Cuomo’s spokesperson dismissed the subcommittee’s actions as a "taxpayer-funded farce," arguing that his statements were misrepresented and that he could not recall specific details rather than lying.
Cuomo’s legal team has requested the relevant documents from the subcommittee to refresh their client’s memory. The former governor faced intense backlash for his administration’s pandemic response, which resulted in over 15,000 deaths among long-term care residents—a figure initially downplayed. He previously resigned in August 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations.
U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik remarked that the nursing home directive was “deadly,” while subcommittee chair Rep. Brad Wenstrup emphasized that Cuomo bore ultimate responsibility for the decision. The panel acknowledged that while Cuomo was not under oath, he was obligated to answer truthfully.
Cuomo continues to defend his administration’s actions, attributing pandemic-related challenges to failures at the federal level.
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