30 October 2024: House Panel to Criminally Refer Andrew M. Cuomo to DOJ for COVID Nursing Home Deaths Scandals

House panel to criminally refer Andrew Cuomo to DOJ for alleged ‘false statements' over COVID nursing home response

The role of Andrew M. Cuomo in allegedly directing a coverup of the outcome of the infamous deadly 25 March 2020 directive he issued plays a significant part in this story.

A U.S. House panel on the COVID-19 pandemic is sending a criminal referral of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the Department of Justice, alleging he made "criminally false statements" during closed-door testimony in June 2024.

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland accusing the former governor of providing false statements to the panel when he testified on June 11.

In the Republican-led committee's referral, it says Cuomo "knowingly and willfully made materially false statements" to the panel during its investigation into the New York's COVID-19 response. The statements in question stem from exchanges about a New York State Department of Health report on nursing home infections and deaths that was released on July 6, 2020.

The criminal referral alleges Cuomo denied being involved in the drafting or reviewing of the report during his June 2024 testimony, but that documents counter his claims. Cuomo also denied having discussions about the July 6 report being peer reviewed, according to the panel, which said documents show otherwise. The committee said it asked Cuomo if he knew people outside of the health department who were involved in drafting or editing the review and the former governor responded "no," which the panel said it has proof he was not truthful.

According to the panel, documents show handwritten notes on a draft copy of the July 6 report that a former executive assistant to Cuomo testified appeared to be his handwriting. The panel also offered what it said is a June 23, 2020 email from the assistant to staff of the governor's office that said "Governor's edits are attached for your review."

This entry was added to the timeline on 10 November 2024.

With the election outcome, its likely any action by the DOJ to pursue criminal charges against Andrew M. Cuomo for his role in New York state's COVID nursing home deaths scandals will be pursued by the incoming Trump administration in 2025. That will be disappointing for Cuomo, because going by its actions since January 2021, the DOJ under Biden administration Attorney General Merrick Garland would almost certainly sweep the matter under the rug.