A Statement from Senator Rob Ortt

Every day, we see more erratic behavior and additional deception by a Cuomo administration that spirals out of control, continuing to cover up its mishandling of COVID-19 deaths in our nursing homes. Transparency by this Administration has gone out the door. I am grateful to see our repeated calls for a federal investigation have been answered. And although I welcome my colleagues in the Majority who are at long last mulling revocation of the Governor’s emergency powers, their action is long overdue.

In fact, the inaction by my colleagues in the Majority effectively enabled this behavior by the Governor and his administration, and delayed these important details from being made public. After months of failing to hold the Governor’s feet to the fire, Senate Democratic leaders then took part in the closed-door meeting on February 10th when top Cuomo Administration officials admitted to months of disinformation and subsequently these Senators still did nothing. They too are implicated in this cover-up scandal, and they have forfeited the public’s trust. 

The stonewalling and withholding of nursing home data is just one example in a litany of failures including the Administration’s inept administration of vaccines, the mass resignations of key staff at the Department of Health, and recently emerging news about disparities among the demographics that have received the vaccine. There is a growing cloud over the Cuomo Administration. New Yorkers are exhausted, and they demand leadership. Our constituents deserve answers on when and how the Governor and his top officials deliberately misled this state. This investigation must be independent, and it must be thorough. 

If this investigation reveals deliberate obstruction, as I suspect it will, the Legislature must move toward impeachment.