NY State Senators Call for Investigation Into Cuomo Admin Over Group Home Tragedy

Families of COVID-19 victims who passed away in New York nursing homes gather in front of Cobble Hill Heath Center in Brooklyn, New York, to demand State Governor Andrew Cuomo apologize for his response to clusters in nursing homes during pandemic on Oct. 18, 2020. Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo

New York state senators have written a letter to the chairman of the Investigations and Government Operations Committee asking to start an investigation into a controversial order that likely accelerated CCP virus outbreaks in group homes.

The letter was written by Republican State Sen. Anthony Palumbo, a member of the Investigations and Government Operations Committee, according to the Washington Examiner.

Members of the Mental Health and Disabilities Committees co-signed the letter directed at the chairman, Democrat State Sen. James Skoufis.

“Individuals residing in OPWDD group homes were three times more likely to contract COVID-19 and three times more likely to die from it compared to the general population of New York,” reads the senator’s letter.

“A report also asserts that group homes received inadequate COVID-19 guidance from OPWDD, leading to logistical challenges and almost certainly allowing COVD positive residents and staff to return to group homes,” Palumbo wrote.

“To date, OPWDD has resisted calls for greater transparency regarding the release of data related to group homes,” he added.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks at a press conference in New York City on July 6, 2020. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

The news outlet also reported that Mike Martucci, a member of the Mental Health and Disabilities Committee, blasted Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“Governor Cuomo has created a culture of corruption, secrecy, and abuse,” said Martucci.

“It’s time for the Legislature to step up and hold him accountable for all of his misdeeds, but in particular his order that exposed our developmentally and intellectually disabled citizens to this deadly virus.”

A disclosure of data last month revealed that nearly 15,000 nursing home residents in New York died of the CCP virus after people recovering from the infection were released into nursing homes at the beginning of the pandemic, a number a lot higher than the 8,500 figure previously made known.

“Prior to the release of the full nursing home data, the Cuomo Administration released misleading statistics regarding the number of deaths in nursing homes. We must come together as New Yorkers and demand that OPWDD be transparent about their conduct during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Palumbo said.

One of Cuomo’s top aides reportedly apologized to Democratic legislators for holding back data on the CCP virus deaths in the nursing homes in order to dodge federal prosecution.

The acknowledgment of the reported cover-up was made by Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor on Feb. 11, during a video conference with Democrat leaders, according to a recording obtained by The New York Post.

Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa listens as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks to reporters during a news conference, in New York, on Sept. 14, 2018. Mary Altaffer/AP Photo

Correction: The article incorrectly stated that the investigation was into nursing home deaths, not group homes. The Epoch Times regrets the error.