Merrick Garland’s response Monday to a question about a potential conflict of interest in an investigation into New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was “not good enough,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik, RN.Y. to “Fox News Primetime.”
During Garland’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas noted that Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss is the mother-in-law of Melissa DeRosa, a top aide to Cuomo. DeRosa earlier this month admitted to Democratic state lawmakers that the governor’s government withheld data on deaths in nursing homes because officials “froze” at the prospect of a federal investigation.
“In any case, will you commit not to have the investigation conducted by a person with a conflict of interest?” Cruz asked Garland.
“In all of these investigations, the Department of Justice is open to evidence of fraud, false statements, violations of law. Normally they start properly in the appropriate US Attorney’s Office,” Garland replied. “I don’t know any of the facts, but I can guarantee you that someone with a conflict of interest will not conduct any investigations.”
GARLAND LOFT DOJ CUOMO NURSING HOME PROBE TO AVOID CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Stefanik told host Katie Pavlich that Garland’s response shows “he doesn’t read the basic news.”
As the American people know, this is a serious corruption scandal at the highest levels of the New York State government, “she said.” We need a much clearer answer from the candidate to become AG. [commiting to] ensure that there is an independent apolitical, fair investigation. And when it comes to obstruction of justice, these aren’t just allegations from Katie, they’ve been recorded on tape.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“It was recorded on tape during a Zoom call with members of the New York State Assembly, which is why it is also Democrats who are speaking out on the need for an independent federal investigation and some are proposing to the governor and the governor, too. I said, should resign. ‘
Families of those who have lost loved ones in nursing homes in New York, Stefanik added, “deserve a commitment to the AG candidate that this would be an independent investigation, and he’d better get started soon because that answer is. not good enough for the American people. “