NEW YORK (Diya TV) — The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, following allegations from congressional Republicans that he provided false testimony during a probe into his administration’s handling of COVID-19 nursing home deaths.
The federal inquiry, initiated by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington about a month ago, stems from a referral by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), who accused Cuomo of misleading Congress about his role in producing a controversial 2020 state health department report.
That report significantly undercounted nursing home deaths by excluding residents who died in hospitals, according to a 2021 investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James and a 2022 audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Cuomo, now a leading candidate in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, testified last year that he had no direct involvement in drafting or editing the report.
However, Republicans argue that documents and witness accounts contradict that claim. Comer had previously requested a DOJ investigation during the Biden administration, but that effort did not move forward. The renewed request under the Trump administration has now led to a formal probe.
Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, said the former governor had not been notified of any investigation. “We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now?” Azzopardi said in a statement. “The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple.”
The investigation comes at a politically charged moment, as former President Donald Trump’s administration has faced criticism for allegedly politicizing the Justice Department. Trump-appointed prosecutors recently dropped a separate corruption case against current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a political rival of Cuomo, despite resistance from career attorneys in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office.
That decision, reportedly aimed at securing Adams’ cooperation with federal deportation efforts, drew internal backlash and led to resignations. Cuomo resigned in 2021 following a separate scandal involving allegations of sexual misconduct from 11 women, which he has denied. He has since sought a political comeback, campaigning on a platform of government competence and resilience during crisis.
The current investigation revisits a particularly controversial aspect of Cuomo’s pandemic-era leadership. In March 2020, his administration issued a directive requiring nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients discharged from hospitals. While Cuomo later defended the move as following federal guidelines, critics argued it needlessly endangered vulnerable seniors.
Further scrutiny came after Cuomo’s office delayed the release of complete nursing home death data for months. Investigations by New York state officials and independent watchdogs confirmed the undercounting and raised questions about whether the administration tried to cover up the true toll.
The probe is being overseen by Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host and longtime critic of Cuomo, who recently took over as U.S. attorney in Washington. Pirro previously called for Cuomo to be investigated for “manslaughter and negligent homicide” during a 2021 segment on Fox News, citing his handling of nursing home policies.
The DOJ has declined to comment publicly on the investigation. However, a Justice Department official defended the department’s actions, stating that it is committed to restoring “one tier of justice for all Americans” and rejecting claims of politically motivated prosecutions.
As the June 24 primary approaches, it remains unclear how the investigation will impact Cuomo’s political fortunes. Some analysts suggest it could rally Democratic support around him if voters see the probe as politically driven. On the campaign trail, Cuomo has labeled Trump “a bully” and pledged to resist federal overreach.
The situation echoes past concerns about the DOJ’s conduct. A 2023 report from the department’s inspector general found that Trump-era officials improperly leaked details of a similar nursing home death investigation just days before the 2020 election, in possible violation of the Hatch Act.
Cuomo’s legal team has pushed back forcefully, accusing the House subcommittee of abusing its power and calling the new investigation part of a “pre-election MAGA exercise.”
While the full scope of the new DOJ inquiry remains unclear, its political reverberations are already shaking New York’s high-stakes mayoral race.