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Federal Prosecutors Move On Cuomo, Subpoena Top Aides Over Nursing Home Policy, Book Deal: Report

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo got some terrible news yesterday with a new report saying that federal prosecutors issued subpoenas for communications related to Cuomo’s book deal and his failed nursing homne policy. 

Cuomo is under fire from all sides – multiple women have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations and he is under investigation over his handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic as well as misusing state resources to promote his book. Now, we learn that people involved in editing early versions of Cuomo’s book, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from COVID-19 Pandemic, were subpoenaed last month by prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn.

The Brooklyn US Attorney’s office asked for documents including contracts and other materials used to pitch Cuomo’s book to publishers. According to the report, subpoenas were sent last month to people involved in the early edits of the book which included some state officials. The potential use of state resources to promote Cuomo’s book has also attracted attention from New York state Attorney General Letitia James.

New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli authorized James to examine “any indictable offense or offenses,” including “the drafting, editing, sale and promotion of the governor’s book and any related financial or business transactions.” Cuomo claims his staff volunteered to help with the book.

From The Wall Street Journal:

Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed material related to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent memoir as part of their probe into Covid-19 deaths in the state’s nursing homes, people familiar with the matter said.

Prosecutors working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn asked for communications related to Mr. Cuomo’s October 2020 book, “American Crisis,” including contracts and materials used to pitch the book to publishers, the people said. They said the subpoenas indicated prosecutors are interested in nursing-home issues in the book, which more broadly recounted the governor’s response to the pandemic.

The demands were included in subpoenas sent last month to individuals who were involved in editing early versions of the book, the people said, including state officials.

The subpoenas show the criminal probe is continuing to widen beyond its initial request for data on when and where nursing-home residents died during the pandemic.

From The New York Post:

In late January, following the release of a damning report by state Attorney General Letitia James’ office, state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker begrudgingly released more complete data. Those numbers showed that the actual number of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents was nearly 50 percent higher than previously disclosed.

Investigators are also looking into a provision in the state budget adopted in April 2020 that granted nursing homes and hospitals broad immunity from criminal prosecutions and civil lawsuits over their treatment of COVID-19 patients. Cuomo signed legislation repealing the provision in April under pressure from lawmakers.

Issues related to “American Crisis” are also being investigated by James’ office and the state Assembly’s Judiciary Committee, which is considering impeachment charges against the governor over the nursing home scandal and a series of claims alleging sexual misconduct.

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