The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for allegedly making false statements to Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic, two officials familiar with the investigation told CBS News.
The investigation focuses on allegations that Cuomo lied during a June 2024 hearing related to coronavirus deaths in nursing homes in 2020. The House Committee on the Pandemic alleges that Cuomo participated in the editing of an official state report, even though he has told Congress that he had no role.
Cuomo's spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, said the former governor had not been contacted by investigators and had not been subpoenaed. He described the case as "politically motivated interference in the justice system and elections".
The investigation comes as Cuomo prepares to run in the New York mayoral race against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.
The Justice Department earlier dropped an investigation into Adams on charges related to bribery and campaign finance. The decision sparked criticism and resignations among federal prosecutors, who accused the administration of "favor for favor" in exchange for cooperation on immigration issues - allegations denied by Adams and the White House.
Representative James Comer, the chairman of the Oversight Committee and a Kentucky Republican, has urged prosecutors to take up Cuomo's case, saying he was "caught lying to Congress."
Meanwhile, federal charges have been filed against New Jersey Democrat LaMonica McIver for assaulting an officer during an incident at an immigration detention center. She has called the charges "purely political."
New York Attorney General Letitia James is also under fire following an investigation launched by a Trump-appointed federal agency head. She has dismissed the allegations of document falsification as "baseless."