Latest news with #CuomoInvestigation
Free Malaysia Today
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
US opens criminal probe into New York mayoral candidate Cuomo
Cuomo resigned in disgrace in 2021 following accusations of sexual harassment. (AP pic) WASHINGTON : The US department of justice has opened a criminal investigation into Andrew Cuomo, a Democratic frontrunner in the New York mayoral race, after Republicans accused him of lying to Congress about his actions as governor during the Covid-19 pandemic, US media reported. The reported probe comes after the Trump administration dropped corruption charges last month against the current New York mayor Eric Adams, who is running for reelection and has been accused of cozying up to president Donald Trump for political gain. Adams – a Democrat who had been accused of wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations and a bribery conspiracy – has vowed to assist Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, sparking criticisms of an alleged quid pro quo between the mayor and Trump's administration. The US attorney's office in Washington began the inquiry against Cuomo about a month ago, the New York Times reported yesterday, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter. Republican members of Congress have pushed for the justice department to investigate Cuomo, alleging he lied while testifying during a congressional probe into Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes during the pandemic. In 2021, Cuomo resigned in disgrace after 10 years as governor of New York following accusations of sexual harassment. A prosecutor dropped related charges against him in Jan 2022. Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi told CBS the former governor had not been contacted by law enforcement about the investigation related to the Covid deaths case, and questioned why it would be leaked now. 'The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple – something President Trump and his top department of justice officials say they are against,' Azzopardi said, according to CBS. New York, the largest US city, is a bastion of the Democratic party, and the party's candidate – chosen in a June primary – will be the favorite to win November's mayoral election. Adams, the Democratic incumbent, has said he will run as an independent.
Bloomberg
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
DOJ Probe Into Cuomo Sparks Election Interference Concerns
The US Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Andrew Cuomo over testimony he gave last year to Congress about his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic while he was New York's governor. A spokesperson for Cuomo, who is currently the front-runner among Democrats in New York City's mayoral race, shot back at the Trump administration, accusing federal officials of engaging in 'lawfare and election interference.' The probe, which comes in the wake of the DOJ dropping a corruption case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams — who is running for re-election as an independent — has sparked concerns that the president is using the judicial system to target his political foes. Read more from Laura Nahmias today on CityLab:
Wall Street Journal
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Justice Department Investigates Andrew Cuomo Over Covid Testimony
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Andrew Cuomo, a top Democratic contender in the New York City mayoral race, in response to a referral from House Republicans who accused the former governor of lying to Congress about his actions during the Covid outbreak, according to people familiar with the inquiry. The inquiry follows the Justice Department's dismissal of corruption charges against the city's current mayor, Eric Adams, a move that drew objections from career federal prosecutors who were either fired or quit in protest. Adams is running for re-election as an independent, while Cuomo is leading polls in the Democratic primary, which is set for next month.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Ex NYC Governor Andrew Cuomo under investigation for Covid testimony
The US Justice Department has launched an investigation into former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over his testimony to Congress during the Covid-19 pandemic, US media reports. Congressional Republicans have accused Cuomo - who is running for New York City mayor - of lying in an investigation surrounding his response to the crisis. It marks the latest in a string of investigations launched by the Trump administration into Democrats or opponents since the president returned to the White spokesperson has said the former governor is not aware of a Justice Department investigation into his actions. House Republicans reportedly requested Cuomo be federally investigated and argued he lie to a congressional committee when he said he was not involved in reviewing a report from the New York Health Department about how the state handled the Covid pandemic while he was governor. In a statement, Rich Azzopardi, a Cuomo spokesperson, told the BBC's US partner CBS News that the former governor has not had any contact from law enforcement about the case or received any said news of the investigation was leaked, describing it as "lawfare" and "election interference".The BBC has reached out to the Cuomo and the Justice Department for was frequently criticised for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and often clashed with Trump over his handling of the crisis. The one-time New York governor is attempting a political comeback and is leading polls in the New York City mayoral race. He is running against Eric Adams, who in April had a criminal case against him permanently dismissed by a federal judge after the Trump administration directed prosecutors to drop the corruption move led to the resignation of Manhattan's top federal prosecutor who accused Adams of striking a deal with the Trump administration to dismiss his case in exchange for immigration is one of a handful of Democrats being targeted by Trump. Earlier this week, a Trump-allied prosecutor charged a New Jersey Democratic lawmaker with assault following an alleged incident outside an immigration facility.
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Justice department opens inquiry into Andrew Cuomo's Covid-19 response
The justice department has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor and current frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race. The investigation was launched after Republicans accused Cuomo of mishandling the state's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, multiple outlets reported on Tuesday. Kicked off about a month ago by the US attorney's office in Washington, the inquiry follows a criminal referral made by James Comer, a Republican representative of Kentucky and chair of the House committee on oversight and government reform. In the referral, Comer recommended Cuomo be 'charged with making false statements to Congress', saying that Cuomo lied on 'numerous occasions about material aspects of New York's Covid-19 nursing home disaster and the ensuing cover-up'. Cuomo faced widespread calls for his resignation in February 2021 after allegations emerged that his administration was underreporting Covid-19-related deaths across the state's nursing homes by as much as half. A leaked recording of Melissa DeRosa, a top Cuomo aide, had her admitting to Democrats that the state withheld the actual numbers out of fear that the justice department would pursue complaints of state misconduct, according to the New York Post. As part of his referral, Comer said: 'This wasn't a slip-up – it was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility for the devastating loss of life in New York's nursing homes. Let's be clear: lying to Congress is a federal crime. Mr Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.' He went on to say: 'The House oversight committee is prepared to fully cooperate with the justice department's investigation into Andrew Cuomo's actions and ensure he's held to account.' In response to the reports, a Cuomo spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, said: 'We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now? The answer is obvious: this is lawfare and election interference plain and simple – something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against. 'Governor Cuomo testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the subcommittee – but from the beginning this was all transparently political,' Azzopardi added. The US attorney's office, which was previously led by Ed Martin, is now headed by Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host and prosecutor. Pirro was appointed by Trump after Martin's nomination to permanently run the office was withdrawn following Senate Republicans' concern over his ability to serve, the New York Times reported. Despite his frontrunner status in the mayoral race, Cuomo has been an embattled figure in politics in recent years. He resigned as governor in 2021 after an investigation by the state attorney general, Letitia James, which found that he sexually harassed multiple women and retaliated against those who made complaints. Shortly after Cuomo announced his decision to run for New York City mayor in March, the justice department dropped its corruption case against the city's current mayor, Eric Adams. Adams pleaded not guilty to accepting bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish officials in exchange for favors. The apparent investigation into Cuomo comes as Adams, a Democrat who announced his intention to run for re-election as an independent, is at the heart of a scandal over his acquiescence to Trump officials to cooperate on immigration crackdowns while attempting to evade criminal charges.
