how to watch New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top aide admits withholding
ALBANY, N.Y. — The top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo acknowledged pausing the release of data on COVID-19 in nursing homes because the governor’s administration feared it could be “used against us” by the Department of Justice under then-President Donald Trump.
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Now, a growing number of lawmakers of both parties are accusing Cuomo of withholding key data and calling on the Legislature to strip him of his emergency powers, which have allowed him to unilaterally impose sweeping rules and restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa’s comments came in a private Zoom call Wednesday with a number of Democratic lawmakers, who in August had requested additional data about the coronavirus death toll in nursing homes and answers to questions about the state’s handling of the virus.
DeRosa acknowledged asking legislative leaders in September whether the Cuomo administration could “pause” the collection and release of the information requested by lawmakers after the Department of Justice inquired about the state’s coronavirus response.
On Friday, Cuomo’s administration released a partial transcript of the call, hours after The New York Post first reported on a leaked audio recording.
“Basically, we froze because then 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 and what we start saying was going to be used against us and we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation,” DeRosa told the lawmakers.
“That played a very large role into this,” she said.
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In a statement Friday morning, DeRosa said she was merely explaining that when the state received the federal inquiry, “we needed to temporarily set aside the legislature’s request to deal with the federal request first.”
She added that the state was “comprehensive and transparent in our responses” to the Justice Department and then “had to immediately focus our resources on the second wave and vaccine rollout.”
“As I said on a call with legislators,” she added Friday, “we could not fulfill their request as quickly as anyone would have liked. But we are committed to being better partners going forward as we share the same goal of keeping New Yorkers as healthy as possible during the pandemic.”
Nursing home deaths draw new scrutiny in New York
News of the private call came as Cuomo, a Democrat, had already been facing criticism for failing to report the number of nursing home residents who died from the virus after being transferred to hospitals until Jan. 28, when the Department of Health released an estimate hours after state Attorney General Letitia James issued a report faulting the state for withholding the number.
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The Legislature’s formal request to the Cuomo administration in August included at least 17 questions about the state’s coronavirus response, including details about the cost. A key request was a full accounting of the number of New York nursing home residents who had died.
The Department of Health finally responded in writing on Wednesday.
DeRosa’s comments drew outrage from Republicans and some Democratic lawmakers, who pointed to the remarks as proof that the Cuomo administration had been covering up key information, including the nursing home death toll.
‘I feel the pain, and I get the anger’:Deaths in New York nursing homes and assisted living reach nearly 15,000. Here’s where.
More than 13,000 New York nursing home residents have died of COVID-19, either in the home itself or in a hospital. The number comes to 15,000 when other long-term care facilities are included.
The comments on the call drew a wave of rebukes from Republicans, who for months have been calling on the Legislature to rescind Cuomo’s emergency powers. DeRosa’s comments spurred a number of Democrats to join the call Friday.
Republicans also have called on their Democratic colleagues, who control a majority in the state Senate and Assembly, to issue subpoenas to Cuomo’s office and the Department of Health for more information.
In a statement Thursday, state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, Niagara County, called for a “top to bottom” investigation of Cuomo and his administration.
“This is clearly a gross obstruction of justice,” Ortt said.
