The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

The New York Times revealed on Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) opened a criminal investigation against Andrew Cuomowho is currently one of the favored candidates to win the Democratic primary for mayor of New York, after he was accused of lying to the U.S. Congress about decisions he made during the COVID-19 pandemicwhen he was governor. About the investigation, which began about a month ago by the federal prosecutor's office in Washington, the newspaper detailed that it has generated surprise in Cuomo's team, which considers that the U.S. president Donald Trump would be using the DOJ as a political weapon to affect his adversaries.

In a statement sent to the media outlet, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi questioned the merits of the investigation against the former New York governor. "We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now?. The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple — something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against." Similarly, Azzopardi commented that Cuomo "testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the subcommittee — but from the beginning this was all transparently political."

A controversial decision

The investigation against the Democratic leader reopens one of its most tumultuous moments during his governorshipn, after it issued in March 2020 an order requiring nursing homes to accept COVID patients from hospitals. Although that decision was widely criticized for the way it put thousands of seniors, who were among the most vulnerable populations, at risk, both Cuomoand his administration insisted that they had not made a wrong decision, assuring that all they did wasfollow federal guidelines at the time.

The Times explained that sources with knowledge of the investigation, who did not reveal their identity for fear of reprisals, detailed that this investigation was approved by Ed Martin, who headed the federal prosecutor's office in Washington. The newspaper also explained that it was initiated in response to a lengthy referral made by Republican congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Martin was recentlyreplaced by former prosecutor and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, who has gone so far as to publicly accuse Cuomo of criminal conduct related to COVID in nursing homes.