While most of the attention about nursing homes being ordered to take Wuhan coronavirus positive patients has focused on New York because of the cover-up by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, it wasn’t only going on in New York. It was also ordered in other Democratic-run states in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Congress had asked for answers from the DOJ as to what was going on in the investigations into the matter.
Now, the DOJ has finally responded to House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), who is the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee for the Coronavirus Crisis.
A terrible day for thousands of families. In a letter to @SteveScalise, @TheJusticeDept wrote that they were dropping the nursing home investigations in all states including New York. There will be no justice for our loved ones, and it feels like we’ve lost them all over again. pic.twitter.com/DV7uNRMr9D
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) July 23, 2021
While they said there was an ongoing investigation in New Jersey, the DOJ said, after looking at further information and talking to the states, they would not be investigating as to the other states, not even New York with all the evidence that exists about the cover-up and lies from the Cuomo team.
Now, I’ve been reporting on this since May of last year, when we were one of the first to cover that Cuomo had changed the way they were counting deaths to obscure how many were dying in nursing homes after the March order.
I didn’t think that anything would be done about it under Joe Biden. Cynic me. Nothing was ever prosecuted about all the scandals under Barack Obama. But still, it’s shocking that they could be so cavalier about thousands of people dying and really not give a darn. One more instance where the magical “D” after your name shields you.
I really feel for folks like Janice Dean who lost both her husband’s parents in nursing homes because of the virus, after the order went through in New York. Many of the people who died in those states died in nursing homes. Thousands died in New York after the order.
Now, while this is dropping any actions under the Civil Rights denial claim, it may not mean everything is shut down yet, as the Empire Center’s Bill Hammond revealed.
FWIW, I’m told on good authority that the DOJ’s decision does *not* affect the ongoing investigation of Cuomo administration by the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office. https://t.co/fSGLLpj1Ei
— Bill Hammond (@NYHammond) July 23, 2021
In October, DOJ expanded its New York inquiry under a different statute (the False Claims Act) to cover private nursing homes as well as government-owned facilities. The letter to Scalise does not mention that angle, so I’m curious about its status. https://t.co/T5ssXGQSHc
— Bill Hammond (@NYHammond) July 23, 2021
Let’s hope. Because I’m not holding out a lot of hope that in Democratic New York — with the Attorney General’s investigation or the impeachment process — that either process is really going to take out Cuomo. I think ultimately it’s going to have to be the voters getting him out of office. Although that wouldn’t bring justice to those who lost loved ones, it will stop his malign governance from continuing.
Steve Scalise was furious as to the DOJ decision today.
“It is outrageous that the Department of Justice refuses to investigate the deadly ‘must admit’ orders issued by governors in New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan that resulted in the deaths of thousands of senior citizens. Where is the justice for nursing home victims and their grieving families? These deadly orders contradicted the CDC’s guidance, and needlessly endangered the most vulnerable among us to the deadly COVID-19 virus. Even worse, Governor Cuomo in New York intentionally tried to cover up the true death toll resulting from his mandate. Grieving families deserve answers and accountability. It’s unconscionable that Biden’s Department of Justice refuses to investigate the deadly actions that went against CDC’s medical guidance taken in these states.”
