Griffo calls for immediate special session and full investigation into Governor and his administration

In the wake of explosive statewide news stories in which a top Cuomo aide was caught on tape admitting to misrepresenting COVID-related nursing home deaths, state Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-I-C-Rome, is calling for the following:

· An immediate special session to rescind the expanded powers the Governor has accumulated during the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the decisions made by the administration have been arbitrary, contradictory and inconsistent. The Legislature is a co-equal branch of state government and needs to be involved in the governmental actions that have taken place as the state continues to confront COVID-19.

· A thorough and independent investigation by the U.S. Dept. of Justice, state Attorney General, legislative committees using subpoena power or, as Sen. Griffo has suggested, the creation of a four member, bipartisan commission of District Attorneys from across the state who will be selected by the majorities (2) and the minorities (2).

“The recent call from some Senate Democrats to repeal the Governor’s additional powers was welcome, but also suspect,” Sen. Griffo said. “Over the last several months, the Senate Republican Conference has given the majority plenty of opportunities to take back power from the Governor and re-establish the Legislature as a co-equal branch of government. However, the majority has repeatedly voted these attempts down.

“Additionally, it is absurd that Sen. Rachel May, Sen. James Skoufis and the other legislators who took part in the recent briefing where this shocking development came out, as evidenced by the meeting’s transcript, decided to keep this important information private,” Sen. Griffo continued. “Shame on them for not saying anything publicly. Most unconscionable is the fact that Sen. May, who chairs the Senate’s Aging Committee that is responsible for the elderly who suffered the most from these policies where thousands of lives were lost, appeared to be more focused on her own political survival rather than lives that were lost. The families and loved ones of those who died in nursing homes deserve answers, justice must be served and lessons learned to avoid tragedies such as this from occurring in the future.”

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