On Tuesday, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, issued a subpoena to Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for failing to provide key documents related to COVID-19 nursing home deaths. These records are crucial to the ongoing investigation into how former Gov. Andrew Cuomo handled the pandemic’s impact on New York’s elderly population.

The House subcommittee first requested the documents from Hochul’s administration in November 2023. Despite assurances of transparency, the governor has failed to release the records. The requested materials relate to Cuomo’s controversial decision to admit COVID-positive patients into nursing homes, a policy many believe led to thousands of unnecessary deaths among seniors.

The subpoena references specific emails and documents from 2020 that detail New York’s nursing home policies during the height of the pandemic. These include a “Draft Nursing Home Plan” from April and May 2020 and a directive requiring nursing home residents to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before admission. The executive chamber has so far withheld these key materials, obstructing the investigation.

Wenstrup emphasized that the New York Executive Chamber admitted to deliberately withholding responsive documents. During a hearing with Cuomo, it was revealed that incomplete or heavily redacted documents were provided, leaving investigators frustrated by the lack of transparency.

The House committee’s move signals its determination to uncover the full scope of Cuomo’s policies and their deadly consequences. Hochul’s failure to comply with the investigation further raises concerns about accountability in her administration.