Gov. Andrew Cuomo tried to dig out the biggest hole of his career on Monday by blaming politics for the controversy that engulfed his administration after The Post’s revelation that his top aide had admitted to withholding records of nursing home deaths during a federal investigation.
During a virtual press conference at which he declined to answer a question from The Post, Cuomo claimed that “there is nothing to investigate” regarding the cover-up Gov. Melissa DeRosa confessed last week during a video conference with Democratic lawmakers. .
Cuomo never directly addressed DeRosa’s recorded comments in which she admitted that “we were frozen” over whether we should openly declare the legislature – or the public – over the death of nursing homes in light of a Justice Department investigation. .
“Because then we were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Justice Department, or what we’re giving you, what we’re starting to say, would be used against us while we were still doing it.” not sure if there will be an investigation, ”DeRosa said during the conference call on Wednesday evening.
Cuomo also claimed again that the state had always reported the number of nursing home residents killed by COVID-19 – even though it was only beginning to release figures on those who died in hospitals following a damning report last month by Attorney General Letitia James, a colleague. Democrat.
The past year has seen a toxic political environment and everything is political, ”Cuomo said at the Albany press conference.
“There are political positions and there are facts.”
Cuomo’s press conference marked his first public comments since outrage broke out last week after The Post revealed DeRosa’s comments.
During the two-hour meeting, DeRosa said Cuomo’s government had rejected a legislative request for nursing mortality rates after contacting federal prosecutors, fearing how it could be used politically against them.
During Monday’s press conference, Cuomo also reiterated his defense of a much-criticized March 25 guideline from the nursing home health department to accept COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals.
Cuomo said there had been “much bias” regarding the since-withdrawn warrant, which he said had been issued by “professionals who tried their best” and according to federal government guidelines.
Cuomo said repeatedly that he took responsibility for “the void” of official information that he claimed led to conspiracy theories and “misinformation” during the pandemic.
“No apologies. I accept responsibility for that. I’m in charge,” he said.
“We were too focused on doing the work and dealing with the crisis of the moment … It caused confusion, cynicism and pain in the families of loved ones
But Cuomo opposed a two-pronged move to strip him of his COVID-19 emergency powers in the wake of DeRosa’s comments.
“Emergency privileges have nothing to do with nursing homes,” said Cuomo.
Cuomo said lawmakers can “reverse any action I take.”
“They have never reversed a single action,” said Cuomo.
“These are public health decisions, not local political decisions.”
Cuomo said that “this virus is serious” and that “it is difficult to close schools and restaurants”.
“These decisions should not be politicized,” he said.
“More people will die.”
Assembly Ron Kim (D-Queens) – whose uncle died in a nursing home after suffering “all the symptoms” of COVID-19 – did not hesitate in his assessment of Cuomo’s comments.
“It’s all BS,” Kim told The Post.
“They could have given us the information in May and June last year. They chose not to. “
Kim also said Cuomo’s comments were inconsistent with what DeRosa said last week, when she accused then-President Donald Trump of turning the New York nursing home deaths into a “ political football. ”
“She spoke of the potential that the information would be used against them,” said Kim.
DeRosa is accountable for what she said. She got us all involved in the cover-up. ”
State Senator Alessandra Biaggi (D-The Bronx) – who is one of those pushing to strip Cuomo’s emergency powers – also ripped up Cuomo’s comments.
No, @NYGovCuomo, you didn’t tell the * entire * Senate or Assembly that there was a DOJ investigation, as the reason you weren’t sharing the nursing home numbers. I heard on Thursday night in the @ nypost story about a DOJ investigation with the rest of the New Yorkers, ”she tweeted.
And Senator Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn) tweeted, “If the governor had let the legislature know months ago that his office was holding back the records they had on total deaths in nursing homes, they wouldn’t have needed a call last week. with a group of legislators to notify them for the first time. “