The Republican response to years of legal actions led by Democrats against conservatives appears to be gaining momentum, as House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has referred former New York Governor Andrew M.
Cuomo for criminal prosecution. Rep. Comer alleges that Cuomo made ‘criminally false statements.’ To provide context, Governor Cuomo oversaw New York during the COVID-19 pandemic and is accused of misrepresenting the conditions in the state’s nursing homes during a time of crisis, which resulted in numerous fatalities.
Republicans believe these alleged misrepresentations warrant criminal charges from the Department of Justice. In a press release detailing the criminal referral, the House Oversight Committee noted that Chairman Comer had submitted a referral to Pam Bondi, stating, ‘Evidence and witness testimony collected indicate that Mr.
Cuomo knowingly and willfully provided false statements to the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on multiple occasions regarding significant aspects of New York’s COVID-19 nursing home crisis and the subsequent cover-up.
The investigation by the Select Subcommittee revealed Mr. Cuomo’s intentional and self-serving attempts to evade accountability for the thousands of lives lost in New York’s nursing homes during the pandemic.’ Further elaborating on the falsehoods in the press release, the Oversight Committee stated,
‘Compelling evidence uncovered by the Select Subcommittee demonstrates that Mr. Cuomo reviewed, edited, and even drafted sections of a supposedly independent and peer-reviewed New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Report that was utilized to counter criticism of his Administration’s nursing home policies during the pandemic.’
Finally, the Oversight Committee outlined the primary falsehoods leading to Cuomo’s criminal referral, asserting, ‘This Report minimized nursing home death tolls and attributed excess COVID-19 fatalities to nursing home staff.
During Mr. Cuomo’s transcribed interview in June, he testified that he was not involved in the review or drafting of the report.’In conclusion, it was stated that all aforementioned assertions were untrue, which warranted the basis for criminal charges. It was articulated, ‘Each of these statements is clearly false.’
In October 2024, the Select Subcommittee advised the Department of Justice to examine the evidence presented in a criminal referral and to promptly assess the possibility of criminal charges against Mr. Cuomo.
In a correspondence addressed to Attorney General Bondi, Chairman Comer remarked, ‘On October 30, 2024, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic referred former New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for making criminally false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1001.’ To our knowledge, the Biden Administration has disregarded this referral despite the evident facts and evidence.
Therefore, we urge you to review this referral and take the necessary actions. For your convenience, the referral is included with this letter.’ He further emphasized that his committee was fully entitled to investigate Cuomo and invited her to reach out with any inquiries, stating, ‘The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform serves as the primary oversight committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and possesses extensive authority to investigate ‘any matter’ at ‘any time’ in accordance with House Rule X.
For any follow-up questions, please contact the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority staff at (202) 225-5074. We appreciate your attention to this significant issue.’ Regarding the charges, Comer remarked, ‘Andrew Cuomo is an individual with a documented history of corruption and deceit, now exposed for lying to Congress during the Select Subcommittee’s investigation into the COVID-19 nursing home crisis in New York.’ In conclusion, Chairman Comer asserted, ‘Mr. Cuomo must face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. The House Oversight Committee is ready to fully assist the Justice Department’s investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s conduct and ensure he is held accountable.’
