DOJ Investigates Andrew Cuomo’s Congressional Testimony
NEW YORK – October 31, 2024 –
The Justice Department is now investigating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo after his testimony before Congress. The probe, confirmed by sources, centers on whether Cuomo lied to Congress about nursing home deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. This follows a criminal referral from a House panel. His legal team is yet to be contacted. The focus is on the same core question: did Andrew Cuomo make false statements? Read on to learn how this could affect his legacy.
Justice Department Investigates Andrew Cuomo’s Congressional Testimony
The justice Department has initiated an investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo regarding his testimony before Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to sources familiar with the matter.This growth surfaces months after the DOJ dropped charges against current New york City Mayor Eric Adams.
The Allegations
Congressional Republicans have been urging the Justice Department to investigate Cuomo for months. The accusations center around allegations that he lied to Congress during an investigation into coronavirus deaths in nursing homes, an issue for which Cuomo has faced considerable criticism.
A House panel on the COVID-19 pandemic issued a criminal referral last year, alleging Cuomo’s involvement in drafting and editing a 2020 state report on nursing home deaths.However, Cuomo testified to the committee in June 2024 that he was not involved. The referral claims Cuomo violated a law against making false statements to Congress.
Cuomo’s Defense
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, stated that the former governor has not been contacted by law enforcement regarding the case and has not received any subpoenas.
We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now? The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple-something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against.
Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo Spokesperson
Azzopardi further asserted:
Governor Cuomo testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the Subcommittee – but from the beginning this was all transparently political.
Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo Spokesperson
Political Context and Parallels
The investigation into Cuomo comes amid scrutiny of the Justice Department’s handling of criminal cases involving Democrats. Months prior,the DOJ faced criticism for ending a criminal prosecution of New York City Mayor Eric Adams for alleged bribery and campaign finance offenses.
According to one of the department’s top leaders, the charges had impeded Adams’ ability to run for reelection or govern the city, and had made it harder for Adams to cooperate with the federal government on crime.
Several members of the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office resigned in protest, accusing the management of a quid pro quo.
More recently, federal prosecutors charged Rep. LaMonica McIver, a New Jersey Democrat, with felony assault during a clash at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Newark. McIver called the charges purely political.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sued former President Trump for fraud, was referred for criminal prosecution by the Trump-nominated head of the Federal Housing finance Agency last month. The office accused James of falsifying documents to get a more favorable mortgage rate, which James called baseless.
