ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top aide told Democratic lawmakers that the administration took months to release data on the coronavirus death toll among nursing home residents because officials “froze” over worries the information was “going to be used against us.”
Republicans who term the comment admission of a “cover-up” are now calling for investigations into and the resignations of both Cuomo and the aide, secretary to the governor Melissa DeRosa. And a growing number of Democrats are joining calls to rescind Cuomo’s emergency executive powers, blasting the administration’s defense of its secrecy.
“To continual defenders of NY Gov. Cuomo how is this ok?” New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, a Democrat, tweeted. “How is it not #Trump like? And when FORCED into admission, the most you get is a sorry we got caught…and not even directly from him or to the families.”
The disclosure of DeRosa’s comments, made on a Wednesday conference call with Democratic legislative leaders, came as the Democratic governor – a third-term Democrat who says he’ll run again in 2022 and penned a book touting his handling of the pandemic – and his administration were already facing backlash over their handling and reporting of outbreaks in nursing homes.
Cuomo’s office provided a partial call recording to The Associated Press, but declined to say where it obtained it or allow its publication.