WASHINGTON D.C. – Representative Dan Goldman has formally requested the centers for Disease Control adn Prevention (CDC) investigate whether former New York Governor Andrew CuomoS controversial March 2020 COVID-19 nursing home policy violated federal guidelines. The request, made in a letter to the CDC, seeks a definitive answer regarding the directive that critics allege contributed to thousands of deaths among elderly nursing home residents.
Goldman cited a recent House report accusing Cuomo‘s management of attempting to cover up the true death toll by “fering” with the accounting of nursing home deaths and undercounting fatalities that occurred after patients were transferred to hospitals. The Republican-led House panel’s report further claimed the directive constituted “medical malpractice” and was “antithetical to known science.”
“Though we cannot bring back the loved ones lost, we must provide families with accountability and resolution,” goldman wrote, requesting a response from the CDC by December 12.
Cuomo, through spokesperson Richard Azzopardi, defended his actions, stating that reviews by the department of Justice Inspector General, the state Attorney General, and New york’s independent after-action report found the Department of Health guidance consistent with general guidelines. Azzopardi accused Goldman of engaging in political maneuvering ahead of a potential primary challenge, possibly backed by Brad lander and Mamdani.
This request follows a similar letter sent last December by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, also seeking a federal determination on whether Cuomo’s order violated federal policy.
The CDC has been contacted for comment. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who oversees the CDC, is the former brother-in-law of Cuomo.
Peter Arbeeny, whose father Norman, 89, died from COVID-19 after a rehabilitation stay in a Brooklyn nursing home, stated he encouraged Goldman to write the letter. arbeeny’s family, along with others, previously filed a negligence lawsuit against Cuomo and other state officials, which was dismissed twice by a federal court.
