WASHINGTON — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is calling for a full investigation into how the administration of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo handled COVID-19 in nursing homes in the state.
Ocasio-Cortez's call follows a report from the Albany Times Union on Wednesday which said that the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York are investigating the way the Cuomo administration has handled COVID-19 in nursing homes.
“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, and the Secretary to the Governor's remarks warrant a full investigation.”
Several lawmakers from across New York State called for action against Cuomo following a report from the New York Post, in which secretary to the governor Melissa DeRosa privately apologized to Democratic lawmakers for the way the state handled nursing home death data and allegedly said the state thought the numbers would be used against them by federal prosecutors.
"As we publicly said, DOJ has been looking into this for months. We have been cooperating with them and we will continue to," Rich Azzorpardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, said on Wednesday.
This story was originally published by Paul Ross on WKBW in Buffalo, New York.