New York Governor Andrew Cuomo escapes from the state, at least for a few hours, as his nursing home scandal seems to be getting worse.
Cuomo was due to travel to Washington on Friday for a scheduled meeting with President Biden about the federal US bailout plan to deal with the coronavirus.
The visit to the White House – Cuomo’s first since Biden took office on Jan. 20 – comes as Cuomo in New York receives increasing attention for his handling of the coronavirus, particularly his government’s coronavirus safety precautions for the state’s nursing homes.
On Thursday, Cuomo was faced with a New York Post bombing report that a Cuomo assistant had told New York Democrats that the Cuomo administration had allegedly concealed records of deaths in nursing homes in an effort to seek control by the Department of State. Avoid Justice of Former President Donald Trump.
CUOMO AIDE TELLS THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE DEMOCRATS IN NY HIDE THE NURSING HOME DATA TO KEEP IT FOR TRUMP DOJ: REPORT
Cuomo executives feared the data on deaths in nursing homes in the state related to the coronavirus “could be used against us,” said the governor’s secretary Melissa DeRosa, according to state lawmakers.
DeRosa’s revelation followed previous reports that the state had undervalued coronavirus deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50%, New York State Attorney General Letitia James said.
The Post report drew immediate outrage from congressional republicans representing New York.
U.S. Representative Lee Zeldin, RN.Y., called for a federal investigation into judicial obstruction of the New York nursing home situation.
“The families of thousands of dead New York seniors deserve accountability and justice for the true consequences of Governor Cuomo’s fatally flawed nursing home policies and ongoing attempts to cover it up. Clearly, what is happening here is criminal,” said Zeldin.
US Rep. Elise Stefanik, RN.Y., on Thursday night demanded that Cuomo and his “senior team” be “immediately” “prosecuted” at the state and federal levels, regarding the deaths in nursing homes.
“This amazing confession of a cover-up – and the Secretary’s comments to the Governor indicating his intention to obstruct a federal investigation – is an astonishing and criminal abuse of power,” Stefanik wrote in a statement.
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On Friday in Washington, Cuomo was expected to join a bipartisan group of other mayors and governors from across the US to meet Biden at the Oval Office.
The meeting will focus on Biden’s US rescue plan for coronavirus control and vaccination.
Fox News’ Michael Ruiz contributed to this story.