“First and foremost, my heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those who died in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s report confirms that former Governor Andrew Cuomo lacked transparency when reporting nursing home deaths, engaged in sexual harassment, and misused state resources. According to the report, the former Governor misled the public about the accurate number of nursing home deaths by ultimately only disclosing the deaths that happened in-facility. Leaving out the deaths that happened once residents left the facility and were admitted into hospitals was intended to gain support for the former Governor’s nursing home directive that nursing homes readmit residents that had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

“I am also frustrated and astonished that while I was advocating for more state resources to help the North Country’s response during the early days of a once-in-a-lifetime public health crisis, the former Governor directed staff to work on his personal book, taking people away from responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am saddened for the New Yorkers across the state who were working around the clock to provide the healthcare we needed, adapting to remote learning so our kids could continue to work, delivering food and other supplies to our neighbors in need, all while state resources were misappropriated to help the former Governor write a book about his COVID-19 response. This is unacceptable and I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Assembly to make sure that this misuse of power does not happen again.”