The Downfall of Pandemic ‘Superstar’ Governor Andrew Cuomo
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) faces backlash over misleading the public on nursing home deaths. Source: AP.
Scandals and politics go together like peanut butter and jelly. In this political climate, it seems as though no politician is immune. The COVID-19 pandemic has been the key question asked over whether politicians are living up to the standards they themselves have put in place. Frequently, Americans have faced strict lockdown restrictions while story after story emerges that the politicians who were handed them down blatantly broke their own rules while expecting ordinary citizens to abide. However, the pandemic has also shone a light on some rising stars and regarded them as heroes - at least until they mess it up.
One of the politicians regarded as a hero by many liberals through this tumultuous time has been New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D). Early on in the pandemic, Cuomo stuck out as a leading figure due to his candor, handling of the pandemic, and his frequent broadcasts, in fact, he was awarded an Emmy due to his efforts in informing the public. Cuomo received praise from celebrities and politicians alike as many preferred his administration’s handling of the issue over President Trump’s.
Although Cuomo positioned himself and his state as a leading example to all others on how to properly handle the pandemic, however, eventually all good things must come to an end and Cuomo is not the exception. Early on as New York became one of the hardest-hit states by the pandemic, Cuomo mandated nursing homes to receive residents who had recently been discharged by hospitals and were recovering from COVID-19. As time went by, nursing homes reported a significant increase in deaths with many attributing this spike to Cuomo’s mandate. However, Cuomo downplayed the role his mandate played in the death toll and instead blamed the influx of deaths on the staff claiming they unknowingly brought the virus into the nursing homes because they were asymptomatic carriers and that 98% of nursing homes already had the virus prior to the mandate. Many health experts criticized Cuomo’s handling of the issue and challenged his claims to how the deaths occurred.
Last month, New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a report claiming Cuomo and his administration underreported the number of nursing home deaths. The administration had previously claimed there were only 8,500 nursing home-related deaths when in reality there were 15,000. The administration underreported the death toll by nearly 50%. The updated numbers were released by a top aid to Cuomo, Melissa DeRosa who also stated the administration decided to not disclose this information in August 2020. Furthermore, she claims the reason the administration opted to not disclose the information to state lawmakers was due to concern that President Trump would use the information against them leading up to the election.
In light of the new information, the FBI and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have initiated an investigation into Cuomo’s handling of the nursing homes throughout the pandemic, issuing subpoenas. In response to the allegations, Cuomo stated “everything that could have been done was done”. The recent information regarding Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic comes as Republican and Democratic lawmakers are set to vote on whether to continue allowing Cuomo to use emergency executive powers or to strip him of said powers.
It appears the thought of losing emergency executive powers does not sit too well with Cuomo as he is reported to have been begging for lawmakers to support him and threatened political retribution against those who are unwilling to lend their support. One New York Assemblyman Ron Kim claims he received a call from Cuomo urging him for his support. Kim said he refused to lend his support and upon doing so Cuomo said to him he “hadn’t seen his wrath”. Of course, the governor’s office has refuted these claims, however, other politicians have also said they received threatening calls from the governor but Cuomo’s office continues to deny the allegations.
Before the updated numbers were released, Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic had been favorable with 61% of New Yorkers approving of his role. However, his favorability in response to the recent news remains to be seen, but it is also important to note that Cuomo is up for reelection next year and it is likely his recent actions have been influenced by this. As of now, it is unknown how the investigation will conclude, but one thing is for sure, this will be a large stain on Cuomo’s career.