Cuomo attacked during debate by fellow Dems for allegedly lying to Congress about COVID nursing home scandal

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was blasted by chap Democrats moving against him to beryllium the adjacent politician of New York City for lying to Congress, an allegation pushed by Republicans that the Trump medication is presently investigating. 

Cuomo repeatedly dismissed questions passim Wednesday night's statement connected whether helium lied to Congress astir his relation successful drafting a New York State Department of Health study that officials determined had undercounted the fig of nursing location deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Cuomo blasted the existent probe arsenic a grounds of partisan authorities and insisted the study successful question "did not undercount the deaths."

"The radical died and helium inactive won't reply your questions," Cuomo's opponent, Michael Blake, a erstwhile authorities assemblyman from the Bronx, said aft Cuomo failed to supply a consecutive answer. 

DOJ INVESTIGATING ANDREW CUOMO FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING ABOUT COVID DECISIONS, SOURCE CONFIRMS

A pistillate holding a motion hugs different pistillate successful beforehand of a conception of a memorial partition astatine a quality league successful New York, March 21, 2021. The families gathered to grieve but wanted an probe into Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Blake's retort resulted successful 1 of the statement moderators asking Cuomo erstwhile again to respond to the allegations that helium lied to Congress astir his relation successful drafting the study that undercounted the fig of COVID-19 nursing location deaths. This time, helium engaged.

"No, I told Congress the truth," Cuomo relented. "No, we did not undercount immoderate deaths," helium added. "When they are each counted, we're fig 38 retired of 50, which I think, shows that compared to what different states went through, we had it archetypal and worst, and that lone 12 states had a little complaint of decease – we should truly beryllium thanking the women and men who worked connected those things."

"It's conscionable a yes oregon nary question," the moderator changeable backmost astatine Cuomo. "Were you progressive successful the producing of that report?"

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo testifies earlier the Select Subcommittee connected the Coronavirus Pandemic astatine the U.S. Capitol connected Sept. 10, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

However, Cuomo inactive did not code the question directly, starring to laughter from his opponents. 

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"It's not lone that Andrew Cuomo lied to Congress – which is perjury – helium besides lied to the grieving families whose loved ones helium sent successful to those nursing homes to support his $5 cardinal publication deal," said Brad Lander, New York City's comptroller. "That's corruption." 

Last month, the Trump administration's Department of Justice opened a transgression probe to get to the bottommost of whether Cuomo lied to Congress astir the decisions helium made during the COVID-19 pandemic portion serving arsenic governor.

Andrew Cuomo is sworn successful to attest earlier the Select Subcommittee connected the Coronavirus Pandemic connected Sept. 10, 2024, successful Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura)

In March 2020, Cuomo issued a directive that initially barred nursing homes from refusing to judge patients who had tested affirmative for COVID-19. The directive was meant to escaped up beds for overwhelmed hospitals, but much than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients were yet released from hospitals into nursing homes nether the directive, which was aboriginal rescinded amid speculation that it had accelerated outbreaks. 

Subsequently, a study released successful March 2022 by the New York authorities comptroller recovered Cuomo's Health Department "was not transparent successful its reporting of COVID-19 deaths successful nursing homes" and it "understated the fig of deaths astatine nursing homes by arsenic overmuch arsenic 50%" during immoderate points of the pandemic. New York Attorney General Letitia James likewise released a study amid the pandemic showing New York authorities nursing location deaths had been undercounted.   

Fox News' Greg Wehner and David Spunt contributed to this report.