New York governor Andrew Cuomo faced mounting pressures to his leadership as federal investigators launched an initial probe into his administration's handling of COVID-19 nursing home deaths, AP, Axios and other news outlets reported Thursday.
State legislators threatened they will strip the governor of his authority to carry out emergency orders after it was revealed his administration did not immediately release data of pandemic-related fatalities in nursing homes, prompting accusations of a cover-up.
Lawmakers and journalists have repeatedly asked the state to release complete details to that effect, to no avail. It was only after Letitia James, the democratic New York Attorney General, provided a more complete data that the state of New York updated its total tally of fatalities among residents and personnel of nursing facilities.
"He needs to make a sincere apology to the families of the victims," a long-time Democratic Party planner who requested anonymity said in remarks quoted by NBC News.
"I know it's hard for the governor to apologize, but he just has to. It's the right thing to do," the political strategist said.
According to sources with knowledge of the matter, the Cuomo administration hadn't been very cooperative with the lawmakers, especially in the early phases of the investigation and, for months, had not released any documents that the prosecutors had requested.
Cuomo has been criticized over claims he covered up the actual number of COVID-related deaths at nursing homes across New York state. A New York legislator accused the governor of threatening his career over the scandal.
In an interview with CNN, Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim said Cuomo called him last week and said he "had not seen his wrath and he can destroy me."
The New York Post obtained an audio of the governor's aide who said a request for data from the nursing homes was turned down because "it could be used against us" by the Federal Bureau of Investigation encouraged by then-President Donald Trump.
