New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday called for a “full investigation” into the Cuomo administration’s handling of coronavirus deaths in nursing homes across the state, making her one of the most prominent Democrats to demand scrutiny of the swirling scandal.
In addition to a probe, the left-wing Queens and Bronx-representing congresswoman said she supports growing calls from state legislators to strip Cuomo of certain emergency authorities he has been able to wield during the pandemic.
“I support our state’s return to co-equal governance and stand with our local officials calling for a full investigation of the Cuomo administration’s handling of nursing homes during COVID-19,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. “Thousands of vulnerable New Yorkers lost their lives in nursing homes throughout the pandemic. Their loved ones and the public deserve answers and transparency from their elected leadership.”
Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most influential progressives in Congress, pointed fingers in particular at comments about the nursing home scandal made by Melissa DeRosa, Cuomo’s top aide.
“The Secretary to the Governor’s remarks warrant a full investigation,” Ocasio-Cortez said of DeRosa.
The controversy erupted last week when it was revealed that DeRosa told state legislators on a private phone call that the Cuomo administration withheld data about the full scope of nursing home deaths from the Justice Department over fears that it could be “used against us.”
Ocasio-Cortez did not specify whether she would like to see an investigation on a federal or state level. A spokeswoman for Ocasio-Cortez did not return a request for comment.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn is reportedly already investigating the Cuomo administration’s handling of coronavirus nursing home deaths.
Still, both Democrats and Republicans, especially in the State Assembly and Senate, have called for additional oversight, with some suggesting Cuomo officials may have committed crimes by withholding data from the Justice Department.
After Ocasio-Cortez’s statement, New York City mayoral hopeful Maya Wiley became the latest prominent Democrat to demand an inquiry.
“Once an investigation occurs, there must be accountability,” Wiley said. “In addition, it’s time to revoke Governor Cuomo’s emergency powers and return to more normal governance in Albany.”
The issue over nursing home deaths in New York dates back to the outset of the pandemic.
A March 25, 2020 order from Cuomo said nursing homes could not refuse entry to residents based on COVID-19 infections, likely exacerbating the spread of the virus in facilities where
Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing and said he was only following guidance from the Trump administration in issuing the nursing home policy.
However, the controversy thickened when New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a scathing report last month that Cuomo’s administration had under-counted the number of coronavirus nursing home deaths by as much as 50%. The low assessment was a result of Cuomo officials only counting nursing home residents who died on nursing home property, as opposed to those who later died in hospitals, according to James.
The selective counting resulted in thousands of deaths being overlooked, James found.
Accounting for the overlooked deaths, more than 15,000 people have died from COVID-19 in New York nursing homes, making it the worst state in the country on that metric.
With Michael Gartland
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OAC jumps again into another New York political Sandbox of inter-party dirt throwing, to act like the sand inside the rotten Cuomo oyster, hoping to glean a political pearl. Where was she when Cuomo was closing the New York restaurants, closing the schools and stuffing the Nursing Homes with COVID patients like Democrats stuff inner city Ballot boxes? This is just another OAC nefarious “Never let a Political Crisis go to waste.” moment, even if it means feeding upon your own rotten oysters. Just one more AOC attempt at 15 minutes of fame, that in the end, total up to Years of political infamy of Democrat CYA that reveals itself as a C THE A.
With the wastes of oxygen, currently inhabiting the DoIJ, and FBI, ANY INVESTIGATIOn will just be a waste of time AND MONEY..
Don’t be deceived by this flaming communist AOC. She doesn’t give a rip about people in general.
Once more, these people are all in for abortion. When one doesn’t care for the innocent, then they don’t care about the elderly, the sick, the infirm, those who lost jobs, no one.
She is an Obama acolyte, part of the death culture. Never for one moment ever buy into her communist rhetoric.
She is a narcissist and a dangerous one at that.
Oh, Ocasio Cortez, why didn’t you bring this up in March, April and May 2020. Answer: You did not want Trump reelected, so you were silent. Ocasio Cortez, how do you spell “phony”? Your silence last year, on innocent people being sent to their deaths, by Andrew Cuomo, the criminal, was deafening. Whichever way the wind blows, right Ocasio Cortez?
Very convenient that none of this came out until Trump left office. That’s the real reason nothing was said (except in conservative media like NewsMax or One America News) back in March, April or May. But even with the undercounting, we knew the elderly were dying due to Cuomo’s order.
The only reason the Dems are going after Cuomo now is because so many voters in NY lost a relative, or had a friend who lost a relative, due to Cuomo’s action, they feared losing the governorship if they stuck with Cuomo. But the assembly is equally guilty because they did nothing to revoke Cuomo’s emergency powers until now.
The real reason the NY AG launched this investigation is she wants Cuomo’s job; not concern over the unnecessary deaths of the elderly.
Many folk were PUSHING TO GET this info out, last year. BUT like always the demented demonrats and their co-horts in the pravda propaganda dept, HELPED to cover it up.
Odd that this was almost a year ago now but good old commie AOC, in her typical fashion, waits for the band wagon to start rolling before she runs to catch up and jump onboard!
Appropriate that they have a photo with the mask covering her mouth, being she never closes it, the mask apparently only to keep bugs out!
“Their loved ones and the public deserve answers and transparency from their elected leadership.”
Golly! That sounds just like what amounted to insurrection a month ago.
Only fools would believe this fool.
a.o.c. abscence of coherency.
IMO that applies to most dems..