#Cuomo shoots down probe into nursing home coronavirus debacle

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday shot down the idea of an independent probe into the coronavirus’ tear through New York nursing homes — while again asserting that criticism of his administration’s response is purely partisan.

State pols from both sides of the aisle have called for investigations into the conditions that led to at least 6,400 COVID-linked deaths in the facilities, including what role a March 25 mandate from Cuomo’s Department of Health barring homes from turning away coronavirus-positive patients may have played.

“No, I wouldn’t do an investigation,” Cuomo flatly told reporters on a Monday conference call.

Despite the bipartisan support for a probe in Albany, the Democrat governor continued to insist that the calls for accountability are politically-motivated.

“I think you’d have to be blind to think it’s not political,” he said. “Just look at where it comes from and look at the sources and look at their political affiliation and … look at what publications raise it and what media networks raise [it]. It’s kind of incredible.”

When a reporter raised the point that an independent probe could be just that — independent — Cuomo swatted down the idea as impossible.

“There is no such thing as a person who is trusted by all Democrats and Republicans,” he said. “That person doesn’t exist.”

The Cuomo administration was let off the hook last month in one inquiry into the matter — conducted by the DOH.

“The department of health review was then reviewed by credible industry experts, right?” Cuomo said Monday. “Well, people don’t think they’re independent experts. Yeah, I know, because nobody’s ever going to agree on who an independent expert is.

“Everybody has their own expert, right? Everybody has their own opinion.”