16 February 2024: House COVID-19 Panel Requests Testimony from Former Cuomo Administration Officials

House COVID-19 panel requests testimony from 4 former Cuomo admin officials

There's been movement in the Congressional probe of Andrew M. Cuomo's deadly 25 March 2020 directive. Four former Cuomo administration have been asked to testify before a congressional committee investigating the consequences of Cuomo's policy. Here's an excerpt from the story:

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has asked four former members of disgraced New York ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration to testify on “must admit” orders issued to nursing homes at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Letters were sent out Friday to Elizabeth Garvey, a former special counselor and senior adviser to Cuomo; Gareth Rhodes, the former deputy superintendent of New York’s Department of Financial Services; James Malatras, the ex-governor’s former policy adviser; and Linda Lacewell, the former superintendent of the Department of Financial Services.

The letters requested that they sit for in person transcribed interviews before the Republican-led panel investigating government actions in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) warned the foursome that the committee “will be forced to evaluate the use of the compulsory” measures if they don’t appear for the voluntary interviews next month.

The request these former officials testify under oath indicates the committee is interested in how the policy was developed, implemented, and administered, which took the combined efforts of hundreds of state government officials.

This entry was added to the timeline on 20 February 2024.

6 February 2024: Andrew Cuomo Demands US AG Review 'Deeply Flawed' Probe into Sexual Harassment Allegations

Cuomo asks U.S. attorney general to examine probe of his case

Andrew M. Cuomo's public relations and legal defense teams have responded to the U.S. Department of Justice's findings that Cuomo engaged in the sexual harassment of multiple women while serving as New York's state governor. Their response isn't terribly original, but more on that after the excerpt from the article:

Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is demanding U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland launch an internal review into the investigation which found he engaged in "sexual harassment and retaliation."

In a letter to Garland Monday, Cuomo's counsel requested discussion of alleged conflicts of interest surrounding the conclusion reached by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and New York Executive Chamber. Glavin PLLC urged the DOJ to investigate the purported conflicts of interest and provide evidence of its findings Cuomo created an adverse workplace for 13 female employees.

“The agreement is a travesty,” the firm wrote. “It is the result of conflicted and irresponsible decision-making and an indefensibly skewed and secretive process.”

Glavin accuses the DOJ of basing its agreement almost entirely on information gathered by New York State Attorney General Letitia James during a “deeply flawed” 2021 investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo. The firm claims the DOJ never contacted the former governor to address concerns James's subsequent report was incomplete, inaccurate, misleading and biased.

The DOJ's findings of Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment of 13 women were included as part of the 26 Janaury 2024 settlement between the DOJ and the New York state government.

Describing the multiple probes finding unsettling issues with Andrew M. Cuomo's official and personal actions while serving as New York's state governor as either "flawed" or "politically biased" has become an evergreen go-to tactic for Cuomo's PR and legal teams.

This entry was added to the timeline on 11 February 2024.