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DOJ Requests Data From State Governors Who Issued Deadly COVID-19 Nursing Home Orders
The U.S. Department of Justice is requesting what many families in many states who lost loved ones in nursing homes to the novel coronavirus have been waiting for: accountability for State governors that mandated nursing homes take recovering COVID-19 patients. The policies resulted in thousands of deaths when warnings about the elderly being the most vulnerable to the virus were clear from the start.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department sent letters to Govs. Andrew Cuomo, D-NY, Phil Murphy, D-NJ, Tom Wolf, D-PA, Gretchen Whitmer, D-MI requesting those answers.
“Protecting the rights of some of society’s most vulnerable members, including elderly nursing home residents, is one of our country’s most important obligations,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband, in a press release Wednesday. “We must ensure they are adequately cared for with dignity and respect and not unnecessarily put at risk.”
Governors in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan all made those orders. And, in New York, for example, the highest number of COVID-19 deaths were counted, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The State’s COVID-19 death rate is also the nation’s second-highest.
The letters request that the State officials provide the following in the next 14 days:
- The number of Public Nursing Home residents, employees, other staff, guests, and visitors
who contracted COVID-19, regardless of where such persons contracted COVID-19
- The number of Public Nursing Home residents, employees, other staff, guests, and visitors
who died of COVID-19 including those who died in a Public Nursing Home or after being
transferred to a hospital or other medical facility, hospice, home care, or any other location. - All State-issued guidance, directives, advisories, or executive orders regarding admission of persons to Public Nursing Homes, including those previously superseded, as well as the dates each such document was in effect.
- The number of persons who were admitted to a Public Nursing Home from a hospital or
any other facility, hospice, home care, or other location after testing positive for COVID19 during the period the guidance or orders were in effect.
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division is also considering opening an investigation into the nursing home deaths.
In a turn of events, the House of Representatives made history on Friday with a vote to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), marking the first such expulsion in over two decades. A moment fraught with gravity unfolded as Speaker Mike Johnson wielded his gavel to formalize Santos’ removal, setting a precedent in congressional annals.
Santos, indicted on 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, and other charges, has not faced conviction but stands accused of misusing campaign funds for opulent purchases. The bipartisan vote, tallying 311 to 114, signaled robust support for expulsion, with a marginally higher number of Republicans opting to retain Santos.
Questions loomed as Speaker Johnson left the chamber, his silence leaving the fate of the ongoing government spending battle uncertain. According to reports from Fox News, Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer emphasized the non-partisan nature of the decision, asserting that members concluded Santos had tarnished the House’s reputation and was unfit for representation.
Within the GOP, conflicting opinions emerged, with Rep. Darrell Issa arguing against expulsion, citing the presumption of innocence. The tight-lipped stance of the House Ethics Committee played a pivotal role in the deliberations.
Conversely, members of the New York Republican delegation, led by Rep. Marc Molinaro, asserted Santos’ commission of crimes, justifying expulsion based on a comprehensive investigation.
Santos himself predicted the outcome in an exclusive morning interview on “FOX & Friends.” This vote not only underlines the House’s rare use of expulsion powers but also sets a critical precedent in handling members facing severe legal challenges.
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