Andrew Cuomo Subpoenaed by House Committee over COVID Response

On Tuesday, disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) was issued a subpoena by a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives regarding his handling of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic in New York.

According to Politico, the subpoena orders the former governor to appear before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on May 24th. The same committee has similarly asked for others in Cuomo’s former administration to appear as well, including former aide Melissa DeRosa.

Cuomo’s response to the pandemic initially garnered nationwide attention, with his daily televised briefings being broadcast on many major networks and eventually winning him an Emmy award. However, his COVID strategy came under greater scrutiny when it was revealed that his administration ordered nursing homes and retirement homes to take in patients who tested positive for COVID, putting the entire elderly population at risk. Ultimately, at least 15,000 elderly nursing home residents died on his watch.

“Not only did the former Governor put the elderly in harm’s way, but he also attempted to cover-up his failures by hiding the true nursing home death rate,” said subcommittee chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) in a statement. “It appears that politics, not medicine, was responsible for these decisions. And that while Mr. Cuomo is adept at seeking legal advice, he is not necessarily adept at seeking medical advice.”

The nursing home scandal marked the beginning of the end for Cuomo’s tenure as governor, as the greater scrutiny eventually expanded to include allegations of sexual harassment. It was these allegations which ultimately led to his resignation from office in 2021, despite Cuomo claiming innocence the entire time.

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi issued a statement denouncing the House Republicans, claiming that “they continue to play politics with Covid and weaponize people’s pain and loss of loved ones.”

The subpoena is only the latest struggle for Cuomo since leaving office. He is currently facing a lawsuit from a former member of the State Police further accusing him of harassment. Although his actions as governor with regards to the nursing homes led to multiple investigations by the Department of Justice and state investigators, none of them recommended criminal charges against the former governor.

Despite his fall from grace and subsequent legal battles, Cuomo has recently begun hinting at a political comeback, suggesting that he may run for Mayor of New York City in 2025, when the embattled incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (D-N.Y.) is eligible for re-election.