The New York Post reported that Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, told leading Empire State Democrats that the administration hid nursing home data from the Trump DoJ. They feared it could “be used against us” by the Justice Department. She made the comments during a video conference call.
The DOJ began investigating nursing home coronavirus deaths in four states back in August – and New York was one of them.
“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,” DeRosa told the lawmakers, according to the Post report.
Cuomo set up a policy for nursing homes that forced COV patients into nursing homes when hospital space was available. They seeded the homes since the elderly are the target of this virus. Everyone knew that would happen, but Cuomo did it anyway.
TRUMP’S DOJ WOULD HAVE USED IT
Rich Azzopardi, a senior Cuomo adviser, absurdly placed some of the blame on the Trump administration. He claims they had to so Trump’s DoJ wouldn’t use it against them politically.
HUH?
“We explained that the Trump administration was in the midst of a politically motivated effort to blame Democratic states for COVID deaths,” he said Thursday evening. “And that we were cooperating with federal document productions — and that was the priority. And now that it is over, we can address the state Legislature. That said, we were working simultaneously to complete the audit of information they were asking for.”
In other words, it’s Trump’s fault because they didn’t want to look bad.
“The second most powerful person in state government and top aide to Gov. Cuomo admitted on video to the premeditated and willful violation of state laws and what clearly amounts to federal obstruction of justice,” said state GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy. “Andrew Cuomo has abused his power and destroyed the trust placed in the office of governor. Prosecution and impeachment discussions must begin right away.”
“It seems every decision coming out of the governor’s office is about Team Cuomo protecting its own image and own interests,” state Assemblyman William Barclay, the chamber’s Republican leader, told Fox News Thursday. “More than 15,000 seniors died in adult-care facilities, but the governor was clearly more worried about a DOJ investigation and political finger-pointing.”
In a separate AP report today, we found out that Cuomo’s policy sent 9,000 COV patients to nursing homes, 40% more than was reported.
Most New Yorkers wouldn’t find this surprising. When the Moreland Commission investigating corruption got close to Cuomo, he shut it down.
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