Cuomo implicated in 'criminal corruption scandal' over nursing home coronavirus deaths: Stefanik

close

Video

Stefanik: Many journalists failed to hold Andrew Cuomo accountable

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., tells 'The Story' it's a 'disgrace' that CNN's Chris Cuomo could interview his older brother and said reporters needed to demand greater transparency from the New York governor.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said Friday that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. was implicated in a "criminal corruption scandal" over his state's reported undercounting of nursing home COVID-19 deaths.

In an interview on "The Story," Stefanik said New York lawmakers needed to hold Cuomo accountable for what the state's attorney general has alleged was a significant underreporting of the death count of New Yorkers in nursing homes. Cuomo, D., defended his policy as following federal guidelines at the time, but officials have said those guidelines mandated strict standards for nursing homes to accept coronavirus-positive patients.

"This is the governor who has pointed fingers at everyone. He's pointed fingers at President Trump. He's pointed fingers at the seniors themselves, at the nursing homes, basically blaming everyone but himself," Stefanik said.

NY UNDERCOUNTED NURSING HOME COVID-19 DEATHS BY AS MUCH AS 50%, STATE AG SAYS

Stefanik also blasted the media and CNN in particular for its coverage of Cuomo, whose brother Chris Cuomo is a primetime anchor and conducted numerous, friendly interviews with the governor when the pandemic first struck.

"It is a disgrace that CNN allows Chris Cuomo to just invite his brother and do those ridiculous fawning interviews. It’s an embarrassment now to the media," she said.

REP. ELISE STEFANIK: "This is the governor who has pointed fingers at everyone. He's pointed fingers at President Trump. He's pointed fingers at the seniors themselves, at the nursing homes, basically blaming everyone but himself. In terms of following federal guidance, it is very clear that Governor Cuomo made the decision to put forth his executive order on March 25 requiring nursing homes to accept positive COVID patients, regardless of their ability to isolate those patients and have proper PPE ...

My thoughts are this governor has avoided the truth for months and months and months. The reason why this is a criminal corruption scandal and not just a nursing home scandal is that they have known for months what the true count of deaths in nursing homes [was], whether it was in a hospital from a nursing home, or an individual who passed away in the nursing home and they have withheld that from the public ...There needs to be subpoenas issued immediately. Both Democrats and Republicans in the State Senate and State Assembly have agreed to that ...

Video

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The tone is wrong. Journalists didn't do their job. They fawned over Governor Cuomo. They didn’t talk to everyday New Yorkers who have suffered under his failed leadership, and most importantly, they didn’t talk to New Yorkers who have been advocates, who have lost loved ones because of the governor’s failed nursing home policies. It is a disgrace that CNN allows Chris Cuomo to just invite his brother and do those ridiculous fawning interviews. It’s an embarrassment now to the media."