FBI, US Attorney probing Cuomo's nursing home death scandal
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Feb 18, 2021
The U.S. Justice Department has been examining the governor's coronavirus task force and trying to determine whether the state intentionally manipulated data regarding deaths in nursing homes, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
"He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes", Cuomo's top aide, Melissa DeRosa, said of Trump on the conference call recording, a transcript of which was provided by DeRosa to ABC News.
The network added, "CNN has covered the news surrounding Governor Cuomo extensively".
Kim's wife corroborated the story of the phone call, saying she had heard the governor ask Kim "Who do you think you are?" and use the words "my wrath".
"The governor can personally attack me all he wants in an effort to distract us from his incompetent management", Kim said in a new statement on Wednesday.
"I do believe Ron Kim acted unethically, if not illegally", said Cuomo.
The FBI declined to comment, as did the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of NY. However, as the NY governor's star rose thanks to his daily press briefings and the mainstream media showered the Democrat with praise for his "leadership", the network allowed its prime-time anchor to hold a series of chummy interviews with his brother in the early weeks of the pandemic.
The investigation moved back into the public spotlight in recent weeks after revelations that Cuomo's administration had given the public, and state lawmakers, an incomplete accounting of the number of deaths at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
"So much for Mr. Kim's credibility, and I said to him on the phone, 'You know, there is still integrity and honor and decency in politics, ' but that's that for Mr. Kim", Cuomo said on Wednesday. Kim had initially supported the reforms, but later opposed some of them after getting support from salon owners.
He explained that as a difference of "categorization", with the state counting where deaths occurred and others seeking total deaths of nursing home residents, regardless of the location. Cuomo has denied accusations of obstruction of justice.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that the federal government will establish four additional mass vaccination sites to increase the amount of COVID-19 vaccine available to New Yorkers. He said, "No man has ever spoken to me like that in my entire life". "They have blood on their hands", Kim told CNN. She said they were anxious they would be used against them in a federal investigation.
