1 April 2021: State Comptroller "Slow Walking" Referral to Start Criminal Investigation of NY COVID Nursing Home Deaths

DiNapoli ripped for not probing Cuomo COVID-19 nursing home scandal

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has become an obstacle to launching a state investigation of the Cuomo administration's COVID nursing home deaths scandals. This report describes his "slow walking" a request to initiate a criminal investigation by New York's Attorney General's office:

Nursing home advocates and Assemblyman Ron Kim ripped into state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli for “slow walking” a request to initiate a probe into Gov. Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic.

The group Voices for Seniors sent a March 19 letter to DiNapoli urging him to make a referral to state Attorney General Letitia James to conduct a joint probe into Cuomo’s undercounting of COVID-19 nursing home deaths — as well as the state Health Department’s order forcing nursing homes to accept recovering COVID-19 patients, and the law shielding medical facilities from malpractice suits during the pandemic.

“Where is Tom DiNapoli? Silence is consent,” said Voices for Seniors co-founder Vivian Zayas, whose mom, Ana Martinez, died from COVID-19 that she contracted while in a Long Island nursing home last year.

Zayas said DiNapoli and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), who directed that body’s judiciary committee to launch an impeachment investigation of Cuomo, are “slow-walking everything.”

The article also explains why that action is necessary:

The advocates urged DiNapoli to make a “referral” to Attorney General Letitia James under Section 63(3) of the state’s Executive Law.

The move would permit DiNapoli and James to “use both the audit power of the comptroller’s office and the investigatory and enforcement power of the attorney general” to probe nursing homes.

Comptroller DiNapoli's silence is becoming very loud and noticeable.