NEW: Andrew Cuomo referred to DOJ for prosecution over false statements to Covid subcommittee

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has referred former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution over his administration’s response to the Covid pandemic and alleged attempts 

The letter, sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland Wednesday night and signed by Chairman Brad Wenstrup, states that as part of the subcommittee’s broad investigation into the response to the pandemic, "the Select Subcommittee is investigating how the State of New York implemented federal guidance from the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect residents in nursing homes and other long term care facilities."

As part of the investigation, a transcribed interview with the committee was conducted on June 11 with Cuomo. "During the transcribed interview, the Select Subcommittee believes that Mr. Cuomo made false statements about his involvement in and knowledge of the drafting of the July 6 Report." That report, issued in 2020, was from the New York State Department of Health and titled "Factors Associated with Nursing Home Infections and Fatalities in New York State During the COVID-19 Global Health Crisis."

"Accordingly, the Select Subcommittee attaches to this letter a detailed referral for criminal charges against Mr. Cuomo pursuant to 18 USC Section 1001. As explained in the attached referral, Mr. Cuomo made multiple criminally false statements, including that he was neither involved in the drafting nor the review of the July 6 Report," the letter continued. "Documents establish that statement to be false."

"Mr Cuomo also testified that he did not have any discussions about the July 6 Report being peer reviewed. Documents show that statement to be false. And Mr. Cuomo testified that he did not know whether the July 6 Report was reviewed by persons outside the NYSDOH. Documents again demonstrate that statement to be false."

"Mr Cuomo provided false statements to the Select Subcommittee in what appears to be a conscious, calculated effort to insulate himself from accountability. The Department of Justice should consider Mr Cuomo’s prior allegedly wrongful conduct when evaluating whether to charge him for the false statements described in the attached."