NY Republicans want Justice Department to subpoena Cuomo over nursing homes

New York’s Republican House delegation is asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to subpoena New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) over the state’s handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes.

The lawmakers led by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) sent a letter to acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson on Wednesday requesting the DOJ subpoena Cuomo, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa and State Commissioner of Health Howard Zucker and their staff for documents relating to the state’s COVID-19 nursing home policies.

The letter comes roughly one week after New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) released a report in which she found that the state underreported the number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by around 50 percent.

“Upon taking office, President Biden pledged that the Department of Justice would be independent, with loyalty only to ‘the law, the Constitution, and the people of this nation, to guarantee justice,’” the lawmakers wrote.

“In that spirit, we respectfully request the Department of Justice issue subpoenas for Governor Cuomo, the Secretary to the Governor, the New York State Commissioner of Health and their staff on all documentation and communications related to their nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic,” they wrote. 

My fellow NY House Republicans and I just sent a letter to the DOJ requesting immediate subpoenas for Gov Cuomo, the Secretary to the Gov, the Health Commissioner and staff on ALL documents related to their disastrous nursing home policies

The people of NY deserve JUSTICE ‼️ pic.twitter.com/F9K2s6KzNw

— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) February 3, 2021

Rich Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Cuomo, told The Hill in a statement that “it’s no surprise this QANON Trump puppet, her treason caucus and their friends want to talk about anything other than the approaching once month anniversary of the Capitol insurrection that they helped foment and resulted in the death of a police officer.”

“It’s a naked ploy and New Yorkers see right through it. Maybe someone should investigate what she and the rest of the Trump enablers knew about the organizing and planning of this riot,” Azzopardi said.

In a separate statement to The Hill, Alex deGrasse, a senior adviser to Stefanik said “it is a disgrace that the Worst Governor in America and his sycophant hacks are spiraling out of control discussing anything except his corrupt criminal coverup of thousands of tragic nursing home deaths.”

“Cuomo and his corrupt team should lawyer up because justice is coming,” deGrasse said. 

The letter was also signed by GOP New York Reps. Tom Reed, Chris Jacobs, Lee Zeldin, Nicole Malliotakis, Andrew Garbarino and John Katko.