There’s a new push to prosecute former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, accusing him of mendacity to Congress about his function within the COVID nursing house disaster.
The Home Choose Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic first referred Cuomo for felony prosecution final October after concluding he made criminally false statements to Congress about efforts to undercount nursing house deaths. The subcommittee mentioned the Division of Justice underneath former President Joe Biden took no motion so, on Monday, they despatched it once more.
The subcommittee managed by Home Republicans despatched a letter to Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi, bumping up their declare from final yr that Cuomo made what they name “multiple criminally false statements” throughout transcribed testimony final summer season.
The felony referral alleges Cuomo denied being concerned within the drafting or reviewing of the report throughout his June 2024 testimony, however that paperwork counter his claims. Cuomo additionally denied having discussions in regards to the July 6 report being peer reviewed, in accordance with the panel, which mentioned paperwork present in any other case. The committee mentioned it requested Cuomo if he knew individuals exterior of the well being division who had been concerned in drafting or modifying the overview and the previous governor responded “no,” which the panel mentioned it has proof he was not truthful.
A spokesperson for Cuomo described Monday’s referral meritless lawfare, saying “referrals like these, which have been also made against Planned Parenthood, Hillary Clinton and Anthony Fauci, don’t have to be resubmitted with a new administration, so the only point to doing this is politics.”
The panel mentioned Cuomo was not underneath oath throughout his testimony however was required to reply questions honestly to Congress.
The Cuomo administration got here underneath vital scrutiny for a coverage that at the beginning required nursing houses to readmit recovering COVID-19 sufferers in an effort to keep away from hospitals from changing into overwhelmed.
