Andrew Cuomo attacked during debate by fellow Dems for lying to Congress
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has come under fire from his fellow Democrats as he runs for the position of mayor of New York City. The allegations stem from accusations that Cuomo lied to Congress about his involvement in drafting a report that undercounted nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trump administration is currently investigating these claims.
During a recent debate, Cuomo faced tough questions about whether he had misled Congress. Despite initially dodging the issue, Cuomo eventually admitted that he had told the truth to Congress and denied that the report had undercounted deaths. He defended his actions by pointing out that New York ranked 38th out of 50 states in terms of COVID-19 death rates.
However, Cuomo’s opponents were not convinced by his explanations. Michael Blake, a former state assemblyman, accused Cuomo of failing to provide straight answers and accused him of not taking responsibility for the deaths that occurred in nursing homes under his watch. Others, like New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, went further, calling Cuomo’s actions corrupt and pointing to a potential conflict of interest with his $5 million book deal.
The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Cuomo’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly his decision to send recovering patients back to nursing homes. A report from the New York State Comptroller found that the Health Department had not been transparent in reporting nursing home deaths and had understated the numbers by as much as 50% at certain points during the pandemic. Similar findings were reported by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Cuomo’s actions during the pandemic have come under intense scrutiny, and the investigation into his alleged lies to Congress continues. As he vies for the position of mayor of New York City, Cuomo will need to address these allegations head-on and convince voters that he acted in the best interests of the state during a challenging time.
