Justice Department probes former New York governor over alleged political interference

The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Andrew M. Cuomo, former New York governor and current Democratic front-runner for NYC mayor, over claims he misled Congress about nursing homes during COVID-19.

The inquiry, initiated last month by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, follows a referral by House Republicans led by Representative James Comer, Caliber.Az reports per U.S. media.

He accuses Cuomo of making false statements during congressional testimony regarding his involvement in drafting a state report on nursing home deaths. Cuomo has denied wrongdoing, saying he testified truthfully to the best of his recollection.

This development comes shortly after the Justice Department dropped corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams, Cuomo’s main rival, prompting accusations that the Trump administration is manipulating the Justice Department for political purposes. Adams, formerly a Democrat and now running as an independent, had been accused of accepting favours from Turkish officials in exchange for city contracts—a case that was dismissed under controversial circumstances.

Critics argue the department under Trump is pursuing a partisan agenda, citing both the Cuomo investigation and the earlier dismissal of the Adams case. The federal inquiry is being overseen by Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host and vocal critic of Cuomo, raising further concerns about impartiality. Pirro previously called for Cuomo to be prosecuted over the nursing home policy, accusing him of endangering lives and covering up the fallout.

The investigation has reignited scrutiny over Cuomo’s March 2020 directive requiring nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients from hospitals. While the policy was aligned with federal guidance at the time, it was later linked to a significant undercounting of deaths, as confirmed by a state attorney general’s report.

Cuomo’s camp has dismissed the probe as “lawfare and election interference,” accusing the Trump administration of weaponising federal law enforcement to target political enemies. The investigation’s timing—weeks before the June 24 primary—has drawn particular criticism amid concerns about election integrity.

This marks the second Justice Department probe into Cuomo’s pandemic decisions. An earlier investigation during Trump’s first term, which was publicly leaked just before the 2020 election, was later found by the department’s inspector general to have breached internal rules and the Hatch Act.

The latest inquiry underscores the ongoing entanglement of law enforcement and partisan politics at the federal level.

By Aghakazim Guliyev