Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement in response to revelations that the Cuomo administration deliberately withheld information about the true toll of COVID-19 in nursing homes in order to avoid an investigation by the Department of Justice.
"The new revelations about both the facts and motivations behind covering up the true toll of the state's mismanagement of nursing homes amid this pandemic are appalling. In trying to avoid Donald Trump's wrath, the Governor instead imitated him.
"In the face of the pandemic, Governor Cuomo asked for and received unprecedented powers to make complex decisions, and he has used them to sideline health advisers, subvert oversight, and shield himself from liability for decisions that have cost New Yorkers' lives. Not only has he skirted accountability, he has avoided even an apology to those who have lost family members as a result of decisions he made. His current rush to reopen amid emerging variants and disparate vaccination distribution- combined with past errors at the onset of the pandemic that made New York the epicenter of the epicenter- further demonstrates the consequences of his unchecked, unrepentant authority.
"Many months ago, I joined Borough President Eric Adams and a coalition of elected officials from across the country in calling for a Department of Justice investigation of city and state responses to the COVID-19 pandemic-- because justice must be pursued, regardless of party. I repeat that call now, under a new federal administration but out of the same moral obligation and with renewed moral outrage at the arrogance the Governor continues to show in making dangerous, misguided decisions and refusing to face the consequences."