The Republican response to years of lawfare led by Democrats against conservatives is clearly beginning to take shape, as House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has referred former New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for criminal prosecution for allegedly making what Rep. Comer describes as “criminally false statements.”
To provide context, Governor Cuomo was responsible for New York during the COVID-19 pandemic and is accused of having misrepresented the conditions in New York’s nursing homes during a time of crisis when thousands perished.
This alleged deception is viewed by Republicans as significant enough to warrant criminal charges from the Department of Justice.
In a press release detailing the background of the criminal referral, the House Oversight Committee stated that, following Chairman Comer’s referral to Pam Bondi, “Evidence and witness testimony collected indicate that Mr. Cuomo knowingly and willfully provided false statements to the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on multiple occasions regarding critical aspects of New York’s COVID-19 nursing home crisis and the subsequent cover-up. The investigation by the Select Subcommittee revealed Mr. Cuomo’s intentional, self-serving attempts to evade accountability for the thousands of lives lost in New York’s nursing homes during the pandemic.”
In a later section of the press release, the Oversight Committee described the falsehoods, stating, “The overwhelming evidence revealed by the Select Subcommittee demonstrates that Mr. Cuomo reviewed, edited, and even drafted parts of a supposedly independent and peer-reviewed New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Report, which was utilized to counter criticism of his Administration’s nursing home policies during the pandemic.”
Subsequently, the Oversight Committee outlined the primary falsehoods that have led to a criminal referral for Cuomo, asserting, “This Report significantly underestimated nursing home fatalities and attributed excess COVID-19 deaths to nursing home staff. During Mr. Cuomo’s transcribed interview in June, he testified (1) that he was not involved in the review or drafting of this Report, (2) that he did not engage in any discussions regarding a peer review of the Report, and (3) that he was unaware of any individuals outside the NYSDOH who reviewed the Report.”
In conclusion, it emphasized that all of these statements were untrue, which justified the potential for criminal charges, stating, “Each of these statements is demonstrably false. In October 2024, the Select Subcommittee advised the DOJ to examine the evidence presented in a criminal referral and to promptly assess the possibility of criminal charges against Mr. Cuomo.”
In the correspondence addressed to AG Bondi, Chairman Comer stated, “On October 30, 2024, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (Select Subcommittee) referred former Governor of New York, Andrew M. Cuomo, for allegedly making criminally false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1001.” To the best of our knowledge, the Biden Administration has overlooked this referral despite the presence of clear facts and evidence. Therefore, we kindly request that you review this referral and take the necessary actions. For your convenience, the referral is included with this letter.
Continuing, he remarked that his committee was entirely justified in its decision to investigate Cuomo and requested that she reach out to him with any inquiries, stating, “The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform serves as the primary oversight committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and possesses extensive authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” in accordance with House Rule X. For any follow-up questions, please contact the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Majority staff at (202) 225-5074. We appreciate your attention to this significant issue.”
In response to the allegations, Comer himself stated, “Andrew Cuomo is an individual with a track record of corruption and deceit, now caught in the act of lying to Congress during the Select Subcommittee’s investigation into the COVID-19 nursing home crisis in New York.”
He further asserted that Cuomo’s falsehoods to Congress constituted a federal offense, declaring, “This was not merely a mistake—it was a deliberate cover-up by an individual attempting to evade accountability for the tragic loss of life in New York’s nursing homes. Let us be clear: lying to Congress is a federal crime.”
In conclusion, Chairman Comer stated, “Mr. Cuomo must face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. The House Oversight Committee is ready to fully assist the Justice Department’s investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s conduct and ensure he is held accountable.”
Featured image credit: United States Department of Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons,
