NEW York Gov Cuomo’s aides rewrote a report by health officials to hide the higher nursing home death toll as the New York Governor began penning his boastful book, it was reported on Thursday.
The shocking July report from the New York Department of Health allegedly revealed how many nursing home residents had died of Covid by June – more than 9,000.
But that figure was not made public, according to documents and interviews reviewed by the New York Times.
Meanwhile on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported Cuomo aides asked the state health department to change its definition of Covid nursing home deaths, reducing the tally considerably.
His aides reportedly asked that the July report’s data focus only on residents who died inside long-term-care facilities.
That would leave out those who had died in hospitals after becoming sick in nursing homes – bringing the number down to 6,432.
The 63-year-old governor – who has been accused of sexual harassment by three former staffers – only revealed the complete nursing home data earlier this year.
He admitted to the large number after the state attorney general said thousands of nursing home deaths – which have now topped 15,000 – had not been accounted for.
Last month an aide of Cuomo admitted to withholding nursing home Covid deaths over fears the grim figures would “be used against us,” according to the New York Post.
The data was reportedly held due to worries over the Trump administration would looking into the state’s handling of nursing homes.
However, the death numbers were hidden months prior to the attorney general notice.
After the Times reviewed docs and interviews with six people with direct knowledge of the talks, it was found that Cuomo and his aides had been hiding the death numbers months before federal authorities requested information.
As per the reviewed documents, at the time the nursing home report was put together, data from the New York State Health Department showed the death toll to be 50 per cent more than what Cuomo’s administration made public.
According to the Times, a person with knowledge of discussions said lawyer Elkan Abramowitz was hired on behalf of Cuomo and his aides – and has started questioning the governors’ staffers about the nursing home report.
The report named those involved in altering the report as Melissa DeRosa, Linda Lacewell, and Jim Malatras.
During the pandemic, Cuomo worked on his book, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic.
His book – which delivers a retelling of his efforts to contain the coronavirus as it ravaged his state in spring – was released in October.
A spokesman for the NY Department of Health told The Journal: “[The Department of Health] was comfortable with the final report and believes fully in its conclusion that the primary driver that introduced Covid into the nursing homes was brought in by staff.”
Beth Garvey, a special counsel and senior adviser to Cuomo, told The Journal in a statement that the data was excluded from the July report because they were not sure it was accurate.
“The out-of-facility data was omitted after DOH could not confirm it had been adequately verified,” she said.
Cuomo has denied a cover-up.
The reports came just hours after former staffer Charlotte Bennett, 25, accused Cuomo of sexual harassment – claiming he quizzed her about her sex life after she went to him for help as a survivor of sexual assault.
Lindsey Boylan, another former aide to the governor, has alleged Cuomo kissed her on the lips and suggested they play strip poker.
A third woman, Anna Ruch, has alleged that Cuomo touched her lower back, grabbed her cheeks and asked to kiss her at a September 2019 wedding.
Cuomo this week apologized – but insisted he will not resign as he “never touched anyone inappropriately.”
“I now understand that I acted in a way that made people feel uncomfortable,” Cuomo said.
“It was unintentional and I truly and deeply apologize for it. I feel awful about it and frankly I am embarrassed by it.”
However, Cuomo might be forced to testify over the sexual harassment allegations as six Democratic lawmakers have called for his impeachment.
In a joint letter lawmakers from the New York State Senate and Assembly said Cuomo’s “predatory behavior” and “gross misconduct” demand impeachment proceedings.
