Chairman Brad Wenstrup of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic dropped a bombshell on Tuesday, declaring a subpoena for former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo. The subpoena aims to compel Cuomo to face a deposition regarding his handling of COVID-19 policies in nursing homes. This move underscores the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for accountability amidst the pandemic’s tumultuous fallout.
Cuomo in 2020 issued a mandate requiring the Empire State nursing homes admit untested or possibly contagious patients. In a statement announcing the subpoena, Wenstrup highlighted reporting that more than 15,000 people died in New York nursing homes and that Cuomo allegedly attempted to hide the number of deaths from the public.
Wenstrup subpoena letter to Cuomo
“Your unwillingness to seriously cooperate with our requests and to negotiate a reasonable date to participate in a transcribed interview has unjustifiably delayed our investigation. This is unacceptable,” Wenstrup said.
“It is now clear that your strategy from the beginning has been to delay and undermine our investigation. You have repeatedly and consistently dismissed, deflected, or ignored all questions and requests from the Select Subcommittee related to your handling of nursing homes,” he asserted. “Publicly, you and your spokesman have downplayed our investigation—characterizing it as a political attempt to weaponize people’s pain. In actuality, as elected officials, it is our obligation and responsibility to recognize people’s pain and to address the surrounding issues that led to or created their pain.”
The Ohio Republican emphasized his previous efforts to obtain Cuomo’s voluntary cooperation in the investigation. He mentioned providing Cuomo with over sixty days’ notice initially. However, despite repeated rescheduling and accommodation requests from Cuomo, the panel concluded that Cuomo did not intend to participate in an interview voluntarily.
Wenstrup has scheduled the mandatory deposition for May 24.
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