The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, focusing on allegations that he provided false testimony to Congress about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The probe, confirmed by a source familiar with the matter, comes as Cuomo mounts a high-profile campaign to become New York City's next mayor.
The investigation, led by the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, was first reported by The New York Times and follows months of Republican pressure on the Justice Department to act on referrals from House oversight bodies. Cuomo is accused of misleading lawmakers about his role in managing the state's nursing home policies during the early months of the pandemic.
At the center of the inquiry is Cuomo's March 2020 directive that required nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients discharged from hospitals-a decision aimed at relieving overburdened hospital systems but one critics say contributed to thousands of avoidable deaths. More than 9,000 patients were transferred under the policy before it was rescinded amid public outrage.
A March 2022 report by the New York state comptroller concluded that the Cuomo administration "understated the number of deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%" at various points during the pandemic and was "not transparent" in its reporting practices. Former Rep. Brad Wenstrup, who chaired the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, said Cuomo made "multiple criminally false statements" about his involvement in pandemic-related health reporting.
Cuomo's spokesperson Rich Azzopardi dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. "We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now? The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple," Azzopardi said. "Governor Cuomo testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier."
The referral for criminal prosecution was first made to the Biden administration in October 2024, but House Oversight Chair James Comer (R., Ky.) recently urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to act. In a letter last month, Comer accused Cuomo of orchestrating "a calculated cover-up" and stated, "Lying to Congress is a federal crime. Mr. Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Cuomo currently leads in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, while incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is seeking reelection as an independent. The DOJ investigation follows a federal judge's dismissal of a corruption case against Adams, a move that prompted the resignation of Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, who accused the Trump administration of orchestrating the dismissal in exchange for cooperation on immigration enforcement.
Cuomo's allies have characterized the investigation as part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to target political opponents. A Trump-aligned prosecutor also recently filed assault charges against a New Jersey Democratic lawmaker, fueling further criticism from Democrats about selective prosecution.
House Republicans contend that Cuomo misled Congress when he denied involvement in the drafting or review of a report by the New York Department of Health evaluating his administration's pandemic response. The eight plaintiffs connected to the case allege their relatives died in nursing homes as a direct result of Cuomo's policy and accuse the former governor of misreporting COVID-related deaths.
