All eyes are on the elections. But Congress is up to something big.
Because the U.S. House just surprised Leftists with a criminal referral of a top Democrat.
House Panel Refers Former Governor Andrew Cuomo to Justice Department for Alleged False Statements
The House panel investigating the Covid-19 pandemic has sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department regarding former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The referral, submitted by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, accuses Cuomo of providing false statements to Congress concerning his involvement in a July 2020 report from the New York State Department of Health, which allegedly downplayed the number of nursing home deaths linked to the administration’s policies.
In a statement on Wednesday night, Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the subcommittee, emphasized the seriousness of the allegations. “Andrew Cuomo repeatedly lied to Congress, and he must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Both witness testimony and new documents serve as evidence that the former Governor made false statements to the Select Subcommittee during our COVID-19 nursing home investigation,” Wenstrup said.
He reiterated the legal implications of making false statements to Congress, stating, “Plain and simple, making false statements to Congress is a federal crime. We look forward to cooperating fully with the Justice Department’s investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s wrongdoings.”
🚨The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is referring Former New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for criminal prosecution.
Evidence suggests Andrew Cuomo knowingly and willfully made materially false statements about New York’s COVID-19 nursing home disaster and the… pic.twitter.com/kJrOQpXHLn
— Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (@COVIDSelect) October 31, 2024
Cuomo testified before the subcommittee in June, asserting that he was not involved in drafting the report and had not discussed its peer review. He also claimed ignorance regarding any external reviews of the report. However, the subcommittee has concluded that these statements are false, citing documents and testimonies from former advisor Jim Malatras and former executive assistant Farrah Kennedy.
Cuomo’s spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, criticized the referral, calling it an “illegal use of Congress’ investigative authority.” He accused the committee of unethical conduct aimed at gaining a political advantage. Azzopardi asserted, “This taxpayer-funded farce is an illegal use of Congress’ investigative authority… We look forward to Rep. Stefanik and Malliotakis and the committee counsels having to answer for their conduct before the DoJ.” He also referenced a part of Cuomo’s closed-door testimony in which the former governor stated he could not recall reviewing or discussing the report.
In addition, Cuomo’s attorney has called for an investigation into what he claims is abuse of power by the subcommittee and alleged collusion with Fox News personality Janice Dean, a vocal critic of Cuomo’s nursing home directive.
The Covid-19 panel has previously released evidence suggesting that Cuomo may have attempted to influence Malatras’s testimony by reaching out to him multiple times after significant developments in the investigation.
During his public testimony before the subcommittee in September, Cuomo consistently deflected questions regarding the nursing home directive and the associated report. He maintained that the directive complied with public health guidelines and defended the omission of out-of-facility death statistics for nursing home residents from the report.
FALSE STATEMENT #1: When asked if he was involved in the drafting of the July 6, 2020 NY State Dept. of Health Report that was used to combat criticism of his COVID-19 nursing home policies, Andrew Cuomo testified “no.”
EVIDENCE: Documents and emails show that Andrew Cuomo… pic.twitter.com/dn3Jstdah9
— Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (@COVIDSelect) October 31, 2024
Cuomo’s political career has suffered greatly in the wake of the nursing home scandal and allegations of s*xual harassment, despite initially receiving widespread acclaim from Democrats during the pandemic. Recent reports indicate that he is contemplating a run for mayor of New York City as he seeks to revive his political fortunes.
The Conservative Column will keep our readers updated on any developments to this ongoing story.
