Disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo won’t be charged in the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into nursing home Covid deaths during his administration, ABC News reports.
“I was contacted today by the head of the Elder Care Unit from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office who informed me they have closed its investigation involving the Executive Chamber and nursing homes," Cuomo lawyer Elkan Abromowitz told reporters. "I was told that after a thorough investigation – as we have said all along – there was no evidence to suggest that any laws were broken.”
The DA has not confirmed the statement.
Cuomo’s handling of nursing homes during the pandemic, where a large portion of Covid deaths occurred, came under scrutiny by New York lawmakers as well but Cuomo resigned last year ahead of a likely impeachment over his pandemic handling, numerous sexual harassment allegations, and claims that he misused state resources to write his pandemic memoir.
AG report:
New York Attorney General Letitia James last year issued a report finding that the administration severely undercounted nursing home deaths by about 50%.
Cuomo had required nursing homes to take in infected Covid patients as the state focused on ensuring hospital capacity.
"As the pandemic and our investigations continue, it is imperative that we understand why the residents of nursing homes in New York unnecessarily suffered at such an alarming rate," James said in a statement at the time. "While we cannot bring back the individuals we lost to this crisis, this report seeks to offer transparency that the public deserves and to spur increased action to protect our most vulnerable residents."
A separate probe by the New York Assembly in November also found that the administration “materially misrepresented” nursing home death data.
Groping charge dropped:
The Albany County District Attorney’s office also said Monday that it would not prosecute Cuomo for a misdemeanor sex crime charge.
Cuomo was charged last October with forcibly groping former assistant Brittany Commisso during a 2020 encounter at his Albany governor’s mansion.
A lawyer for Cuomo denied the charge and alleged political motivation on the part of the sheriff who charged him.
Commisso told investigators at the AG’s office that Cuomo groped her breast over her bra after calling her to help him with his cell phone at his private residence.
