House GOP Threatens To Subpoena Former New York Governor Cuomo

House Republicans are intensifying their efforts to investigate the deaths of nursing home patients during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The GOP-led House panel is now threatening to subpoena former Governor Andrew Cuomo in order to acquire materials related to his administration's COVID policies, including the controversial directive that required nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients from hospitals.

The House GOP panel initially reached out to Cuomo in May, requesting documents and testimony regarding the circumstances and policies that contributed to the deaths of over 15,000 nursing home residents during his tenure. However, as the former governor failed to provide any requested materials, the subcommittee issued a new letter setting an October 17 deadline for compliance.

Republican Representative Nicole Malliotakis, a member of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, expressed concern over Cuomo's failure to follow CDC and CMS recommendations. Malliotakis, along with other lawmakers, believes that accountability and answers are crucial for individuals in her district who lost loved ones. The goal of the investigation is not only to understand what happened but also to improve preparedness for future pandemics.

In response to the latest letter from the House GOP panel, Cuomo's spokesperson called it a "farce" and criticized certain politicians for exploiting people's pain to further a political agenda. While acknowledging that Cuomo may not possess the materials being sought, the subcommittee's spokesperson explained that attempts were made to obtain any responsive documents from his team.

Additionally, the subcommittee has reached out to Governor Kathy Hochul's administration regarding COVID-related materials. As of Sunday, Hochul's team had yet to produce the requested documents that would fulfill the panel's entire inquiry. The New York Department of Health has assured its full cooperation with the investigation.

The U.S. Department of Justice examined Cuomo's management of the COVID-19 outbreak in nursing homes; however, in July 2021, they decided against conducting a comprehensive investigation into the matter.