Nursing Home Victims’ Families Demand Cuomo Be Investigated Over COVID Deaths

The families of nursing home residents who died from COVID are demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) after new evidence suggests he altered a report to understate the nursing home death toll. Emails and documents revealed that Cuomo may have edited a key state report in 2020.

A group of family members who lost loved ones sent a letter to the DOJ, urging them to look into Cuomo’s actions. “We call on the Department of Justice to launch a full and fair investigation,” the letter states. Among the signers are Peter Arbeeny, Vivian Zayas, and Janice Dean, all of whom have been vocal critics of Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the pandemic.

Cuomo has long claimed he did not review or edit the New York State Department of Health’s report before its release, but emails from June 2020 tell a different story. One message from Cuomo’s assistant, Farah Kennedy, mentioned the “Governor’s edits” to the report, suggesting Cuomo made changes that reduced the apparent number of deaths.

Zayas, who lost her mother to COVID in a nursing home, said that Cuomo must be held accountable if he lied to Congress. “We’re going to see this through to the end,” she stated, emphasizing that families won’t rest until justice is served.

Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, dismissed the families’ efforts, calling them “absurd” and accusing them of politicizing the pandemic. However, Democratic lawmakers like Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-NY) have expressed support for the families’ pursuit of justice.