New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's days in Albany are "numbered" after Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa admitted hiding nursing home data from the Trump administration, Rep. Tom Reed said Friday, adding that the aide deserves to be arrested for what she has confessed to doing.
"What we have is Gov. Cuomo's second-in-command's confession to fellow Democrat lawmakers, admitting she committed criminal activity to cover up what they were hiding," the New York Republican told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings With Maria." "I am looking at filing a personal criminal complaint against this individual, today, in local law enforcement offices as well as federal offices. She needs to be arrested today."
The New York Post reported Thursday that DeRosa told lawmakers, in a private admission, that the Cuomo administration had rebuffed a legislative request for the nursing home death tolls because "right around the same time, [then-President Donald Trump] turns this into a giant political football."
“He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes,” DeRosa said, noting that at about that time, Trump launched attacks on New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and then directed the Department of Justice to investigate New York, and "we froze."
Early in the pandemic, more than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients in New York state were released from hospitals into nursing homes under an order that ended up being dropped after outbreaks and deaths accelerated, according to reports that have been released. The new figure is 40% higher than what the state's health department initially reported.
Reed added that Cuomo's order was in effect for just 46 days, but 15,000 New Yorkers were killed and the governor and everyone else involved needs to be held accountable.
"I am going after DeRosa right now, don't make any mistake about it," said Reed. "Gov. Cuomo will be held to account ... thank God we are getting to the bottom of this COVID disaster. Gov. Cuomo ordered 15,000 New York residents to their deaths ... when you are the leader you should take responsibility and Gov. Cuomo, it's coming to you. You are going to answer for this. People died because of your orders."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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