The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, now a leading candidate for New York City mayor, over allegations he lied to Congress about the state’s nursing home death toll during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The probe, initiated last month by the Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney’s Office under then-Acting U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, is now overseen by interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

The investigation stems from a criminal referral by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-KY, who accused Cuomo of violating 18 U.S.C. §1001 by making false statements during a June 11, 2024, interview with the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Comer’s referral, resubmitted on October 30, 2024, to Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleges Cuomo deliberately underreported nursing home deaths by 46% in a July 6, 2020, audit, misleading Congress and the public about the true scale of the tragedy.

Comer notified Bondy that Cuomo's fabrication to lawmakers was a violation 18 U.S.C. §1001, a federal statute prohibiting false statements to Congress:

To our knowledge, the Biden Administration ignored this referral despite clear facts and evidence. Accordingly, we request you review this referral and take appropriate action. For your reference, the referral is attached to this letter.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the principal oversight committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.

Cuomo’s administration faced scrutiny in 2020 for ordering COVID-positive patients back into nursing homes, a policy linked to thousands of elderly deaths.

When the DOJ requested official death counts, the numbers were allegedly falsified, underreporting fatalities by nearly 50%.

Despite earlier investigations, the Biden administration and Manhattan DA dropped related probes, prompting Comer to demand action.

"Andrew Cuomo is a man with a history of corruption and deceit, now caught red-handed lying to Congress," Comer said.

Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, denied knowledge of the investigation, claiming the probe is "lawfare and election interference" aimed at derailing Cuomo’s mayoral campaign.

"Governor Cuomo testified truthfully to the best of his recollection,” Azzopardi said, accusing Republicans of politicizing the probe.

The DOJ has yet to provide a statement on Cuomo, but a Justice official defended the investigation, stating, "This Department of Justice has ended the weaponization of government and will continue to follow the facts to restore one tier of justice for all America."

The probe follows the DOJ’s recent decision to drop a corruption case against current NYC Mayor Eric Adams, a move that sparked controversy in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office.

As Cuomo campaigns for mayor, this investigation could upend his political comeback, raising questions about accountability for one of the deadliest chapters in New York’s pandemic response.