House Republicans are renewing calls for criminal charges against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, accusing him of making “criminally false statements” to Congress regarding the underreporting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.

In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), cites “overwhelming evidence” that Cuomo misled Congress during a June 2023 interview about his role in drafting and editing a July 2020 report that allegedly undercounted nursing home deaths by 46%.

“This wasn’t a slip-up — it was a calculated cover-up,” Comer said, accusing Cuomo of shielding himself from responsibility for his March 25, 2020, directive that forced COVID-positive patients back into senior care facilities without mandatory testing.

Cuomo denied involvement in the report’s preparation during sworn testimony, but internal emails and handwritten edits appear to contradict his claims. Staffers have identified Cuomo’s handwriting in margins of the draft, including changes to death figures and language minimizing culpability.

The renewed criminal referral comes after the Justice Department declined to prosecute Cuomo last year.

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi dismissed the move as a politically motivated stunt and “transparent election interference” – Cuomo is currently the frontrunner to be the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor.

House Republicans maintain that Cuomo’s statements warrant up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of lying to Congress.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)