FBI and DOJ Probing Andrew Cuomo Over Nursing Home Coronavirus Deaths: Report

The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of New York are reportedly investigating New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, specifically the disclosure of deaths it caused in nursing homes. Investigators are said to be scrutinizing the conduct of top officials who coordinated the state’s response to COVID-19, particularly with regards to a July 2020 order directing nursing homes to accept coronavirus-positive residents being discharged from hospitals. At the same time, members of Cuomo’s own party came out against him on Wednesday as the Democratic leaders of the state Senate took steps to strip him of his emergency powers, The New York Times reported. A former Cuomo staffer admitted last week that the governor’s administration had hidden the true death toll from the public for fear of political backlash. The state’s attorney general has also investigated and released a damning report of the governor’s handling of the crisis. The New York Post reported two days ago that Cuomo’s administration had failed to include at least 1,900 deaths in the tally.