WATCH: Author explains how Cuomo completely screwed up New York’s COVID response and may face criminal prosecution

Speaking to Steven Bannon, Palumbo said that he was inspired to write the book because of the widespread media praise Cuomo received during the pandemic. Such praise has fallen silent in the past month, however, as it was revealed that the Cuomo administration actively underreported the number of deaths in nursing homes to avoid it becoming a political tool to be used against the Democrats during the 2020 election.

Cuomo received criticism from conservatives in the early days of the pandemic after he forced nursing home residents who tested positive for the virus to return to the nursing homes rather than to stay in hospitals. Many have pointed to this policy as one of the main drivers behind the high coronavirus death rate in New York.

Palumbo said that even before the underreporting scandal, New York had the highest coronavirus death rate in the country apart from New Jersey. He also noted that it was clear that nursing home deaths were being underreported even before the scandal broke, but that the media hardly reported on it.

He also took aim at New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, which he noted has an even higher death rate from coronavirus than the rest of the state.

Legal experts have claimed that Cuomo's actions regarding nursing homes, particularly his administration's attempt to cover up the scandal and hide it from investigators, could warrant criminal prosecution.