Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday tried to pull himself out of the biggest hole of his career by blaming the controversy policy that engulfed his administration after The Post revealed that his top aide admitted withholding data on the nursing home deaths amid a federal investigation.
During a virtual press conference in which he refused to ask a question from The Post, Cuomo stated that “there is nothing to investigate” regarding the cover-up that Gov. Melissa DeRosa’s secretary confessed during a video conference with Democratic lawmakers last week. .
Cuomo never went directly to DeRosa’s recorded statements in which he admitted that we “froze” about whether we should go to the legislature (or the public) about deaths in nursing homes in the face of a Justice Department investigation .
“Because then we were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we would give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you, what we’re starting to say, would be used against us while we weren’t sure there will be an investigation, “DeRosa said in the conference call Wednesday evening.
Cuomo also reaffirmed that the state had always reported the number of residents of nursing homes killed by COVID-19, although it only began to release figures on those who died in hospitals after a conviction report. last month by State Attorney General Letitia James, Democrat.
Last year, there is a toxic political environment and everything is political, “Cuomo said during the press conference in Albany.
“There are political positions and there are facts.”
Cuomo’s press conference marked his first public comments since outrage erupted last week after The Post revealed DeRosa’s comments.
During the two-hour meeting, DeRosa said the Cuomo administration rejected a legislative request for nursing death figures after being contacted by federal prosecutors, fearing how it could be used against them politically.
During Monday’s press conference, Cuomo also reiterated his defense of a much-criticized March 25 Department of Health directive on nursing homes for accepting COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals.
Cuomo said there had been “a lot of distortion” regarding the order that was terminated since then, which he said was issued by “professionals who did the best they could” and following the directions of the federal government.
Cuomo has repeatedly said he took responsibility for the “vacuum” of official information that he said led to conspiracy theories and “misinformation” amid the pandemic.
“No excuses. I take 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 created confusion, cynicism and pain for the families of loved ones
But Cuomo retreated against a bipartisan movement to withdraw him from his COVID-19 emergency powers following DeRosa’s statements.
“Emergency powers have nothing to do with residences,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo said lawmakers “can reverse any action they take.”
“They’ve never invested in any stock,” Cuomo said.
“These are public health decisions, not local political decisions.”
Cuomo said “this virus is serious” and that “it’s hard to close schools, close restaurants.”
“These decisions should not be politicized,” he said.
“More people will die.”
Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens), whose uncle died in a nursing home after suffering “all the symptoms” of COVID-19, did not hold back in his assessment of comments from Cuomo.
“It’s all BS,” Kim told The Post.
“They could have provided us with the information in May and June last year. They decided not to.”
Kim also said Cuomo’s comments did not match what DeRosa said last week, when he accused then-President Donald Trump of turning the deaths at the New York nursing home into “political football.”
“He talked about the potential that the information would be armed against them,” Kim said.
“DeRosa must be responsible for what he said. He implicated all of us in the disguise.”
State Senator Alessandra Biaggi (D-The Bronx), who is one of the people pushing to strip Cuomo’s emergency powers, also ripped off Cuomo’s statements.
“No, @NYGovCuomo, you didn’t tell the whole Senate or Assembly that there was a Department of Justice investigation, as the reason you didn’t share nursing home numbers. I found out about a DOJ investigation with other New York men in the story of @nypost Thursday night, ”he tweeted.
And Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Brooklyn) tweeted: “If the governor had actually informed the legislature months ago that his office was retaining data they had on total deaths in nursing homes, it would not have been necessary. that they had a call with a group of legislators last week to inform them for the first time ”.