Friend Again Calling for The Resignation of Gov. Cuomo for Administration’s Role in Lying to Public About Nursing Home Deaths

Statement from Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) on new reports of top Cuomo aides’ direct interference in Department of Health report on nursing home deaths

“The Cuomo administration has gone through great efforts to mislead the public about the magnitude of deaths at nursing homes during the pandemic. It is shocking, but hardly a surprise, that the governor’s top aides interfered with and rewrote the July 2020 report where public health officials originally attempted to provide accurate numbers. Adding to the absurdity of it all, when Health Commissioner Howard Zucker was asked for the nursing home data by the Legislature in our hearing in August of last year, he lied to us saying the data wasn’t fully verified, and now we know from other health officials that this information was ready far before the hearing. All of this deception was to protect the self-serving book deal the governor secured in the middle of a pandemic. Gov. Cuomo must resign now and, if he won’t, the Legislature must stop playing around and remove him.”

From New York Times: Cuomo Aides Rewrote Nursing Home Report to Hide Higher Death Toll

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/04/nyregion/cuomo-nursing-home-deaths.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage