NEW YORK — Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who rose to nationwide prominence and recognition through the peak of Covid, is about to face probably the most high-profile scrutiny but for his dealing with of the pandemic — and he plans to mount an aggressive protection.
Cuomo will likely be publicly questioned Tuesday by the Home Choose Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, a panel reviewing governmental responses to the general public well being disaster.
Republicans who management the listening to have signaled that they’ll grill him over his administration’s nursing residence insurance policies and why federally supplied assets just like the USNS Consolation hospital ship — despatched to New York Metropolis to alleviate well being care suppliers — was barely used.
GOP lawmakers insist that the listening to is rooted in nonpartisan efforts to keep away from errors throughout future crises and that Cuomo must reply questions. Cuomo’s workforce has telegraphed their disdain for the inquiry and accused Republicans of doing former President Donald Trump’s bidding.
The ex-governor rose to nationwide stardom within the preliminary months of the pandemic, however later resigned amid sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied. After turning into ubiquitous — and gaining reputation — for his televised Covid briefings, his fall from grace was nothing wanting epic.
The listening to is being held at a fragile time for him: Cuomo has been weighing a possible comeback through a run for New York Metropolis mayor and even his previous job in Albany because the state’s chief govt.
Framing Tuesday’s questioning as a partisan train towards him comes with a transparent benefit.
And whereas it would assist that greater than 4 years for the reason that onset of the pandemic Covid isn’t as politically potent a difficulty for voters, the Tuesday look could not replicate that basic actuality for Cuomo.
“For many New Yorkers, life is as near again to regular as potential,” Siena Faculty pollster Steve Greenberg stated. “However Republicans asking Cuomo about what occurred within the early days of the pandemic and the way that listening to goes may completely set off vital recollections for lots of New Yorkers.”
Cuomo, who was governor of New York for 10 years till his 2021 resignation, is well-versed in the right way to spar with members of Congress. He appeared earlier than lawmakers a number of occasions whereas working within the Clinton administration because the Housing secretary. Cuomo spoke to the subcommittee in a personal session earlier this yr.
In such settings, Cuomo will be equal components combative and lawyerly.
The affect of the listening to, too, could also be muted. It’s being held the identical day as Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris maintain their first televised debate.
Precisely what he’ll face isn’t fully clear, however it nearly definitely is not going to be simple.
Republicans on the subcommittee set to query Cuomo say it’s useful to achieve perception on the selections that had been made — particularly when it got here to the state requirement issued in March 2020 that nursing properties and grownup residing amenities not flip away Covid-positive sufferers.
“1000’s of New Yorkers died,” Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the only New Yorker on the subcommittee, stated in an interview. “They had been Republicans, independents, Democrats. It actually has nothing to do with politics, and it’s about getting solutions and accountability for these households.”
Cuomo has tried to “dodge and stonewall” the subcommittee, she stated.
“He reveals no regret,” Malliotakis stated. “No accountability and no regret.”
Republicans intend to ask Cuomo about his administration’s requirement that long-term care amenities and nursing properties not flip away Covid-positive sufferers — a directive issued amid considerations New York’s hospital system can be overrun with sick folks.
Other than that, the federal indictment this month of Linda Solar, a former state worker accused of performing as an unregistered agent of the Chinese language authorities, may additionally come into play.
Solar, who labored for each Cuomo and his successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, helped safe private protecting gear and ventilators from Chinese language representatives and enterprise leaders, based on her indictment. The state was later billed $700,000 for the gear.
However whereas some GOP lawmakers wish to maintain the concentrate on Cuomo, the previous governor will seemingly attempt to tie them to Trump.
Cuomo has lengthy taken the view that criticism of his dealing with of the pandemic and the nursing residence order — which was rescinded greater than a month after it was issued — are rooted in Trumpian assaults.
In his Covid-era memoir, “American Disaster: Management Classes from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Cuomo wrote that nursing residence accusations had been, partly, stirred by “Rupert Murdoch’s New York Publish” in an try by Republicans to solid blame on Democratic governors for the loss of life toll.
Cuomo has lengthy asserted the state was relying on guidance from the federal authorities and that the nursing residence order was authorized. The state order itself didn’t cite federal tips.
Cuomo and his high aides in 2020 actively coated up nursing residence deaths and undercounted how many individuals died within the amenities, based on a 48-page memo launched by the GOP-led subcommittee on Monday.
The memo, first reported by the Occasions Union of Albany, particulars how Cuomo tried to handle the general public relations fallout over the nursing residence order by withholding and manipulating information in a public state report issued in July 2020.
Cuomo’s spokesperson referred to as the Home Republicans’ memo “all smoke and mirrors.”
Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson has blasted the previous governor for a “nursing home massacre” and Cuomo spokesperson Wealthy Azzopardi believes the rhetoric from GOP lawmakers is an indication the listening to will likely be stacked towards the previous governor.
In an interview, Azzopardi unspooled a string of invective towards subcommittee Republicans in response, accusing them of making an attempt to “run interference” for Trump and downplaying the actions Trump took as president through the pandemic.
“This MAGA committee of foot medical doctors, disgraced, demoted, naval captains-slash-Trump physicians and Q-Anon nuts are working interference for Trump and his Covid mismanagement,” he stated. “Anybody with a mind of their head sees that.”
And but Democrats on the choose panel aren’t leaping to Cuomo’s protection.
They’ve made clear the listening to will highlight Trump’s dealing with of the pandemic forward of the November election, and that the panel ought to take an “goal take a look at the missteps that allowed COVID-19 to unfold in our nation’s nursing properties — together with the Trump Administration’s failure to make sure ample provide of testing and PPE that paved the best way for the virus to ravage our most weak.”
Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
