House panel summons Andrew Cuomo to testify on COVID nursing home policies
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Subpoenaed to Testify on Nursing Home Handling During COVID Pandemic
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who resigned from office in 2021 amid a sexual misconduct controversy, has been subpoenaed to testify about his handling of nursing homes during the COVID pandemic, a GOP-led panel revealed on Tuesday.
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is compelling Cuomo to appear for a May 24 deposition focused on a mandate Cuomo issued in March of 2020 forcing New York nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit or re-admit potentially contagious and untested COVID-19 patients, the panel said in a statement announcing the subpoena.
The panel stated, “This order recklessly exposed New York’s most vulnerable population to COVID-19 with deadly consequences,” and highlighted that over 15,000 individuals died in New York nursing homes and long-term care facilities during Cuomo’s administration. The statement also suggested that Cuomo engaged in a cover-up to hide the true nursing home mortality rate and shift political blame away from his administration.
Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) criticized Cuomo’s actions, stating, “Cuomo implemented nursing home policies that had deadly consequences for New York’s most vulnerable population. Not only did the former Governor put the elderly in harm’s way, but he also attempted to cover-up his failures by hiding the true nursing home death rate. It appears that politics, not medicine, was responsible for these decisions. And that while Mr. Cuomo is adept at seeking legal advice, he is not necessarily adept at seeking medical advice.”
Wenstrup emphasized the importance of Cuomo’s testimony, saying, “Cuomo owes answers to the 15,000 families who lost loved ones in New York nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. His testimony is crucial to uncover the circumstances that led to his misguided policies and for ensuring that fatal mistakes never happen again. It is well past time for Cuomo to stop dodging accountability to Congress and start answering honestly to the American people.”
In early 2021, after New York Attorney General Letitia James reported that nursing home resident deaths were “undercounted” by roughly 50%, Cuomo insisted that all deaths in nursing homes and hospitals were “fully” reported, but acknowledged a “delay” while his office was busy responding to a multi-state inquiry by the Department of Justice. Cuomo’s lawyer, Rita Glavin, wrote to Wenstrup urging him to reconsider the subpoena, stating that they had offered alternative dates for a transcribed interview.
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic expressed disappointment in Cuomo’s delays and lack of cooperation, stating, “Cuomo has repeatedly and unjustifiably delayed the Select Subcommittee’s investigation by not responding to requests for weeks, ignoring Select Subcommittee staff’s attempts to negotiate interview dates and times, and providing unreasonable availability — nine months after the interview was originally requested. Today’s subpoena has sadly become necessary to uncover the truth about New York’s pandemic-era nursing home policies and deliver the answers Americans demand and New Yorkers deserve.”
How did the decision-making process prioritize critical calculations and image preservation over the well-being and safety of New York’s nursing home residents during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Itical calculations and image preservation took precedence over the well-being and safety of New York’s nursing home residents.”
The subpoena comes as part of an ongoing investigation into Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, it was revealed that Cuomo’s administration had underreported COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, sparking a wave of criticism and calls for accountability. The revelation led to an investigation by the Department of Justice, as well as the New York State Attorney General’s office.
According to the panel’s statement, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is seeking Cuomo’s testimony to gain a clearer understanding of the decision-making process behind the nursing home policy and whether Cuomo’s administration manipulated data to downplay the severity of the situation. The subpoena also requests relevant documents, communications, and other records related to the issue.
Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the pandemic has been the subject of intense scrutiny and controversy. Critics argue that his mandate of admitting COVID-19 patients into nursing homes without testing them first put vulnerable elderly residents at risk and contributed to the high death toll. They accuse Cuomo of prioritizing hospital capacity over the safety of nursing home residents.
Cuomo has defended his actions, stating that the policy was in line with federal guidance and aimed at ensuring hospital beds were available for those who needed them most. He also argued that the underreporting of nursing home deaths was a result of delays in verifying the data and not an intentional cover-up.
The subpoena further adds to Cuomo’s legal troubles following his resignation from office. In addition to the sexual misconduct allegations, Cuomo is also facing a separate criminal investigation by the Albany County district attorney’s office. The investigation is focused on whether Cuomo used his position to help his family secure COVID-19 testing when tests were scarce.
While it remains to be seen what impact the subpoena will have on the overall investigations and potential legal consequences for Cuomo, it signifies a significant development in the quest for accountability regarding the handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The testimony and documents sought by the panel are expected to shed light on the decision-making process and potentially reveal any attempts to manipulate data or cover up the true extent of the crisis.
As New York and the rest of the world continue to grapple with the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of understanding and addressing the failures and missteps in the response cannot be understated. The subpoena of Andrew Cuomo to testify on his handling of nursing homes is a crucial step in that endeavor, as it seeks to hold accountable those responsible for decisions that have had devastating consequences for the most vulnerable members of society.
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