Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s rivals on this yr’s Democratic mayoral major wasted no time in lambasting the frontrunner over studies that President Trump’s Justice Division opened a brand new investigation into him following Congressional Republicans’ accusations that he lied to them final yr.
The contours of the investigation, revealed in a Tuesday report by The New York Occasions, nonetheless stay largely unclear, but it surely follows Republican lawmakers referring Cuomo to the DOJ for prison investigation in October over allegedly mendacity in his testimony earlier than a Congressional committee about his dealing with of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Particularly, they cost that Cuomo lied when he denied having reviewed a report by the state Well being Division that undercounted the variety of COVID-19 deaths in New York’s nursing houses, whereas later clarifying that he didn’t “recall” doing so. Cuomo resigned in 2021 following uproar over his dealing with of coronavirus in nursing houses and almost a dozen accusations of sexual harassment that he denies.
‘Election interference, plain and simple’
The Justice Division underneath President Trump, seen right here in 2024 outdoors a New York courtroom throughout his prison fraud trial, is investigating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo over statements he made to Congress relating to his dealing with of the COVID-19 pandemic 5 years in the past.Picture by Dean Moses
Cuomo’s spokesperson, Wealthy Azzopardi, stated his group had “never been informed” of the investigation, questioning its timing because the June 24 Democratic major approaches.
“This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple—something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against,” Azzopardi stated, showing to reference the DOJ citing the proximity of Adams’ indictment to the mayoral race as one of many causes to drop it.
Azzopardi additionally defended Cuomo’s Congressional testimony, saying he “testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the subcommittee — but from the beginning this was all transparently political.”
Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander, in a press release, contended Cuomo is taking it simpler on Trump than different candidates due to the probe.
“Andrew Cuomo, believing he may need a pardon for committing perjury, explains his incessant kissing up to Donald Trump,” Lander stated. “New Yorkers cannot afford another corrupt mayor beholden to Trump — Cuomo should announce immediately that he will not seek or accept a pardon from the President.”
Cuomo has referred to as Trump an “existential threat” and a “bully,” whereas presenting himself because the best-prepared candidate to tackle the president after tangling with him as governor.
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie echoed Lander’s assault, accusing Cuomo of remaining “silent” as Trump has moved to slash funding for essential companies, allowed billionaire Elon Musk to fireplace federal staff and hole out companies, and on his alleged affect over Adams.
“Now, New Yorkers know why: Cuomo was attempting to keep his failed legacy of nursing home deaths and COVID mismanagement off the front pages,” Myrie stated in a press release.
Meeting Member Zohran Mamdani, who’s operating in second place to Cuomo, took a unique tact.
“Andrew Cuomo’s career has been defined by corruption and deceit, and his lying to Congress about his COVID response is no exception,” Mamdani stated. “But Donald Trump cannot be trusted to pursue justice. While I believe New Yorkers should reject the disgraced ex-Governor at the ballot box, the Trump administration’s actions are dangerous.”
