Almost every man and woman running to become New York City's next mayor gathered on Sunday to urge voters not to support former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the candidate's share partner.
The group, which ranges from democratic socialist Zoran Mamdani to Republican Curtis Swawa, came together to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the New York Department of Health Orders. The orders stated by the patients' families and lawmakers have contributed to thousands of COVID-related deaths among residents of nursing homes across the state.
For Cuomo, a Democrat who resigned in 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal, his administration's efforts to continue scrutiny of his pandemic response and hide the true death toll in nursing homes was a political stone bridge even before he entered the mayoral race. He sharply defended the crisis's handling and sparked politically motivated criticism.
On Sunday, nine mayoral candidates stood on a street around Brooklyn's Cobble Hill, in front of a memorial wall displaying photos of nursing home residents who died during the Covid crisis. Each candidate said he was not present for political reasons, but said he had the opportunity to criticize the former governor who leads the vote. The event was organized by families who have long called on Cuomo to apologise and take responsibility for his relative's death.
“It's not about partisan politics, but about accountability,” said mayor Brad Lander, who runs the Democratic primary in June. “I don't really ask Andrew Cuomo to meet with my family.”
Swawa said: “Look at the extraordinary people behind me. Can other questions connect us together with the differences we have?
Several Cuomo's opponents have revealed they are trying to hamper his momentum by highlighting allegations of sexual harassment against him that he has denied.
On Sunday, most of them got the opportunity. In addition to Lander, Mamdani and Sliwa, five Democrats were present: Adrian Adams, Michael Blake, Zellner Miley, Jessica Ramos and Scott Stringer. There was also an independent Jim Walden. The only candidates not present were Democrat Whitney Tilson and Whitney Tilson, Democrat Eric Adams, who said he needed to explain his reaction to the death of the nursing home.
Cuomo's critics focused on the July 2020 state health department report, saying that the state's health department report on nursing homes was inaccurate and biased responsibility for deaths from the governor. In 2021, New York Attorney General Letitia James discovered that Cuomo's administration had compensated for coronavirus-related deaths in thousands of nursing home patients. Cuomo, who said the March 2020 order and other state public health policies adhered to federal guidelines, called the lack of transparency a mistake, but denied that his decision was politically motivated.
Last year, the Republican-led House Subcommittee held a hearing on New York's early pandemic response, and ultimately took Cuomo to be responsible for his involvement in modifying health department reports with an editorial suggesting other reasons why Covid may have spread to the home. The panel accused him of lying to Congress and introduced him to the Department of Justice for possible prosecution.
Cuomo's spokesman Rich Azopaldi refused the complaint on Sunday, saying there was no evidence that the March 2020 order caused additional deaths. He pointed to a report from an inspector earlier this year. This found Trump administration officials violated Justice Department rules by sharing details with reporters about coronavirus deaths in New York and other democratic-run countries in 2020. The report said it showed that family pain was “weaponized and politicized for years, purely for election purposes.”
“We give New Yorkers more credibility. They see right through these political games,” Azopaldi said.
Sunday's event took place in front of Norman Irbiney's home, who died in Covid at a nursing home in Cobble Hill, according to his family. Irbeany's relatives condemned the order in March 2020 on the order of his death and sued Cuomo along with another family member. A federal judge dismissed an illegal death lawsuit last year.
Azopaldi disputed the family's claims, saying the evidence “is no possible link between the DOH guidance and the passing of a loved one.”
On Sunday, Mr. Irviny's son Peter Irviny pleaded with Cuomo to speak directly to his family.
“You need to apologise in the face of us,” he said. “If you're going to lead, you have to lead for all of us. That makes sense even if we're your critics.”
