Families of those who died in New York nursing homes during the COVID pandemic are calling for an investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). New evidence suggests Cuomo may have edited a report to downplay the deaths. Emails and documents recently surfaced, leading families to believe Cuomo lied when he claimed he had no role in the report.
Peter Arbeeny, Vivian Zayas, and Janice Dean, whose loved ones died in nursing homes, wrote a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ), asking for an investigation. The letter states, “He must be held accountable.” They also accuse Cuomo of misleading Congress during two hearings in 2020 when he claimed he had not seen or edited the New York State Department of Health’s report before its release.
Emails from June 2020 show that Cuomo’s assistant sent the report to him for edits, contradicting his previous statements. One email reads, “Governor’s edits are attached for your review,” showing he may have altered key sections of the report.
The families argue that if Cuomo knowingly misled Congress, he must face consequences. Zayas, co-founder of Voice for Seniors, told the New York Post, “If he lied to Congress, he committed a crime. He should definitely be investigated.”
Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, dismissed the calls for an investigation, calling them “absurd” and saying the families were attempting to “politically weaponize” the pandemic.
Some Democrats are also pressing for accountability. Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-NY) said he stands with the families in their pursuit of justice, accusing Cuomo of lying to benefit his own political ambitions.
