Tenney seeks DOJ criminal referral for Cuomo due to ‘false statements’ with Covid response

Congresswoman says former governor misled Congress about nursing home directive

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24), today led a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting a status update and urging the Department of Justice to act on the criminal referral of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for allegedly making false statements to Congress regarding his administration’s handling of nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The referral, originally transmitted by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, stems from testimony Governor Cuomo provided before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic during its investigation into New York’s March 25, 2020 nursing home directive and the subsequent coverup of nursing home fatalities.

The Select Subcommittee reviewed approximately 550,000 pages of documents and conducted numerous witness interviews, ultimately concluding that substantial evidence exists indicating Cuomo made multiple materially false statements to Congress concerning his involvement in drafting a New York State Department of Health report, the report’s purported peer review process, and the role of outside individuals and organizations in shaping its conclusions.

The letter highlights the devastating impact of the nursing home directive, which resulted in more than 9,000 COVID-positive patients being admitted or readmitted to nursing homes, and notes that families across New York continue to seek answers and accountability for the loss of their loved ones.

“Thousands of New York families suffered unimaginable loss during the pandemic and deserve the truth about the decisions that were made and the actions that followed,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “The evidence assembled by Congress raises serious concerns that former Governor Cuomo knowingly misled Congress while under oath in an effort to avoid accountability for one of the most consequential public health failures in New York history. No one is above the law, regardless of their position or political ambitions. The Department of Justice must follow the facts, provide transparency regarding this referral, and ensure that the American people can have confidence that justice is applied equally to everyone.”