Statement from Senator Jim Tedisco on Governor’s Announcement of Independent Assessment of Pandemic & COVID Nursing Home Deaths

“I appreciate that the Governor is seeking an independent assessment of the overall response to the pandemic, but we need a separate carveout just for the nursing homes as Assemblyman Ron Kim and I called for with our legislation for an independent, bi-partisan investigation with subpoena power into the 15,000 nursing home deaths (S.2067/A.3162).  Our legislation has the support of Janice Dean and many of the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in what’s become one of the worst disasters in New York State history in terms of loss of life.”

“I hope this will lead to a thorough and truly independent investigation and not more cover for Cuomo that whitewashes his cover-up of the real number of nursing home deaths that myself and the Empire Center had to sue his administration to reveal. We know now that he hid this data because he was getting $5 million to write a book of fiction to portray himself as Andrew Cuomo the COVID Slayer when he was really Andrew Cuomo the COVID Purveyor!