House Republicans have threatened to subpoena former New York Gove. Andrew Cuomo, asserting that he is “stonewalling congressional oversight” into his state’s “deadly COVID-19 ’must admit' nursing home policies.”
Mr. Cuomo’s decision during the peak of the pandemic to issue a mandate requiring nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit patients who were infected with COVID-19 has reportedly come under significant scrutiny.
The former governor is alleged to have disregarded medical guidance on how to slow the spread of the illness, and there have been allegations of his administration potentially underreporting the mortality rate stemming from the implemented policies, as well as engaging in efforts to shift political blame.
The Select Subcommittee convened a hearing focused on assessing the consequences of Mr. Cuomo’s controversial “must admit” policies. Subsequent to this hearing, the Subcommittee formally requested a transcribed interview with the former governor. They have also called upon him to provide any information or documentation related to the state’s nursing home policies during the pandemic.
In light of Mr. Cuomo’s failure to comply with the request, Mr. Wenstrup and Ms. Malliotakis have established a strict deadline of Oct. 17, 2023, for Mr. Cuomo to produce the requested documents, communications, and provide testimony. Failure to do so may reportedly result in the issuance of a subpoena.
In a formal letter addressed to Mr. Cuomo, the lawmakers underscored the gravity of the ongoing investigation and emphasized the importance of transparently addressing the consequences of the state’s nursing home policies during the pandemic. It was reported that they expressed deep disappointment at not having received any documents or information from the former governor.
“Contrary to your and your spokesman’s unfortunate statements, this investigation is the result of your clearly medically misguided decision to expose New York’s most vulnerable to COVID-19 by issuing the ‘must admit’ orders, which had predictable but deadly consequences for 15,000 nursing home residents,“ the lawmakers said in their letter. ”Any attempt to cover up the truth and conceal culpability is not acceptable to the American people.”
The letter further noted that despite statements to the contrary, the investigation stemmed from allegations that Mr. Cuomo’s “must admit” policies, issued during the peak of the pandemic, may have had predictably dire outcomes for the 15,000 nursing home residents affected. The lawmakers reportedly conveyed their unequivocal stance that any effort to conceal culpability or obscure the facts of the matter is unacceptable to the American people.
Chairman Wenstrup has also formally requested that Dr. Howard Zucker, the former Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, provide a transcribed interview. It was reported that Zucker is presently serving as the Deputy Director for Global Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The purpose of the interview is to purportedly delve into Zucker’s involvement in issuing New York’s nursing home directives, which have been a source of significant controversy and subject to allegations of impropriety.
A representative for Mr. Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’s request for comment.
