Republican senators call for investigation into NY Gov. Cuomo over nursing home "cover up"

Nine Republican senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee have written the Democrat Chairman of the committee, Dick Durbin, asking for an investigation into New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's alleged cover up of New York's nursing home COVID-19 death toll.

Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) wrote, in part:

Last week, the New York Post reported that Melissa DeRosa, a top aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York, told a group of state lawmakers that Governor Cuomo and his senior staff engaged in a deliberate cover-up regarding New York’s nursing home COVID-19 death toll. In a shockingly candid confession, she stated: “We were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an
investigation.”

Governor Cuomo’s attempt at damage control was dealt a further blow in a report by New York State attorney general Letitia James. The report stated that the number of COVID-19-related nursing home deaths had been undercounted by as much as 50%, resulting in thousands of COVID19-related nursing home deaths not being reported properly. Such underreporting hid the truth from the public and policymakers of the dangers posed to elder home residents and, therefore, prevented the kinds of changes in policy that should have been adopted to save lives

The letter asks Judge Merrick Garland, President Biden's nominee for Attorney General, to commit to investigating Gov. Cuomo's COVID-19 cover up.

Click here to read the full letter to Chairman Durbin.