ALBANY, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Legislative pressure is building on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to reveal more about the apparent under-reporting of nursing home COVID-19 deaths as a state judge says the administration broke the law in delaying the release of health data.
Seven Republicans who represent New York in Congress have sent a letter to the Department of Justice, urging it to subpoena documents related to what they say is the governor's coverup of nursing home data.
At the state level, Republican lawmakers are asking Democrats to follow suit.
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It's all happening as a rough week for Cuomo is getting even rougher.
He came up on the losing end of a lawsuit from a thinktank demanding even more information around COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.
A judge ruled the Cuomo administration wasn't justified in holding back the numbers from the Empire Center for Public Policy, which had filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act six months ago. The state had requested an extension three times, claiming they were reviewing the numbers.
The health department now has five days to hand over a detailed accounting of deaths in each nursing home on each day since the start of the pandemic.
They had released an updated total last week following the attorney general's report that had accused the Cuomo administration of undercounting nursing home deaths by as much as 50%. It upped the number of deaths by nearly 4,000.
WCBS 880's Steve Burns reports there will likely be a lot of riding on a hearing planned for later this month with Cuomo's health commissioner.
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