29 October 2021: Opinion - Cuomo Should Also Face Criminal Charges for COVID Nursing Home Deaths Scandals

Janice Dean: Cuomo sex crime charge is hopefully the beginning of holding disgraced 'Luv Guv' accountable

In this opinion piece, Janice Dean shares her thoughts on where criminal investigations of Andrew M. Cuomo should go next now that sex crime charges have been filed. Here are several excerpts:

It hit me when I saw the official document from the Albany County Sheriff’s Office this afternoon: "The People of The State of New York Vs. Andrew M. Cuomo."

The same former governor who this time last year was polishing his Emmy award and celebrating his New York Times best-selling book was charged Thursday with groping a former aide at the Executive Mansion. The self-proclaimed "Luv Guv" who appeared regularly on his brother Chris's primetime show on CNN to talk about who's their mother’s favorite son could now have to register as a sex offender if he’s convicted....

Although there is definitely some satisfaction in knowing this man could actually be arrested for a crime after being talked about as a possible presidential candidate last year, it is still not enough for those of us who have been asking for answers and accountability for arguably an even bigger crime: Helping to kill thousands of seniors in nursing homes in the spring 2020....

The charges Thursday allege that the disgraced governor’s filthy hands were all over a young woman’s body without her permission. And for those of us that lost loved ones in nursing homes, he has blood on those hands as well.

Cuomo's COVID nursing home deaths scandals are much bigger in scale than the sexual harassment charges for which Cuomo faces prosecution as a misdemeanor. They involved the active participation of many people in New York's state government, many of whom are members of Cuomo's Democratic party, which holds political power in the state. The sexual harassment allegations provided these party members a way to remove Cuomo from office while limiting the fallout to themselves.

That doesn't change their need to hold Cuomo accountable for his administration's deadly 25 March 2020 directive, which led to hundreds, if not thousands, of excess COVID deaths among New York nursing home residents. Dean is absolutely right in pushing for that accountability. Given what we've seen since replacement NY Governor Kathy Hochul was sworn into office, that will continue to be an uphill struggle, because it is in her and her party's interest to avoid true accountability to protect their hold on their political power.