Cuomo Attacks Queens Lawmaker Critical Of Nursing Home Deaths

NEW YORK CITY — A scorched-earth, diss-filled detour Gov. Andrew Cuomo took during a normally routine phone call poured gasoline onto a fire over his handling of nursing home COVID-19 deaths.

Cuomo on Wednesday repeatedly attacked Ron Kim, an Assembly Member from Queens who criticized Cuomo's response to nursing home deaths, during the hour-long call. He accused Kim of corruption, dishonorable behavior and dishonesty.

"Sometimes you have to correct the record," Cuomo said near the call's close.

Cuomo's attacks didn't so much correct the record as kick off a day-long political sideshow. All but lost in the squabble were the roughly 13,000 New York nursing home residents who died of COVID-19.

But the focus on the deaths returned in a report Wednesday afternoon by the Times Union that U.S. Attorneys in Brooklyn launched a probe into the Cuomo administration’s handling of nursing homes during the pandemic.

Cuomo's administration has long faced criticism over the deaths, which critics tied to an order that nursing homes accept residents who tested positive for coronavirus. The tensions over deaths boiled over recently when his top aide Melissa DeRosa's told lawmakers that officials withheld some numbers.

The revelation sparked accusations of a cover up.

Kim drew Cuomo's ire when he was quoted in a New York Post story accusing the governor of obstructing an investigation into nursing home deaths. Cuomo said Kim claimed in a phone conversation that he was misquoted but refused to put out a statement correcting it.

It's here, at this phone call, where Kim focused his response to Cuomo. Kim told CNN and the New York Times that Cuomo threatened to "destroy" him if he didn't take back the comments.

Cuomo's spokesperson Rich Azzopardi — who, like Cuomo, acknowledged a long "hostile" relationship between the governor's office and Kim — later released a statement calling Kim a liar. Azzopardi said he had listened into the call.

"At no time did anyone threaten to 'destroy' anyone with their 'wrath' nor engage in a 'coverup,'" Azzopardi's statement read. "That's beyond the pale and is unfortunately part of a years-long pattern of lies by Mr. Kim against this administration."

Cuomo also repeatedly levied accusations about Kim's apparently changing stance over 2015 nail salon legislation but as they are unverified Patch won't repeat them in full.