Cuomo’s Legacy Torched While He Faces DOJ Referral Over COVID Nursing Home Lies
By Rick LaRivière and M.Thomas Nast with Michael Volpe and Richard Luthmann
In Episode 35 of The Unknown Podcast, journalists Michael Volpe and Richard Luthmann laid out a damning case against Andrew Cuomo.
Luthmann didn’t mince words: “It’s a pattern he has to answer for.”
The pattern? Cuomo’s political rise is built on the backs of powerful Black men.
BLACK POLITICAL BODIES IN CUOMO’S WAKE
“Every time,” said Luthmann, “the Democratic Party chooses their favorite white boy over the Black politician who’s already earned the seat.”
First it was Carl McCall in 2002, then David Paterson in 2010, and now Eric Adams in 2025.
McCall, a respected former comptroller, ran for governor in 2002. Cuomo, then an untested legacy, jumped in and waged a brutal primary.
“Bill Clinton had to talk him down,” Luthmann said. “It got that bad.” McCall lost to Republican George Pataki, and Cuomo was blamed for draining McCall’s momentum and campaign funds.
Eight years later, Governor David Paterson, the state’s first Black governor, faced an ethics scandal—allegations of free Yankees tickets and sexual misconduct filled headlines.
Cuomo, then Attorney General, led the charge.
“It was all bogus,” Luthmann said. “It was political.”
Cuomo cleared his path to power once again.
In 2025, Eric Adams was pushed out of the Democratic Party and denied public campaign funds. The NYC Campaign Finance Board—stuffed with Democratic loyalists—cut off $4.5 million to Adams based on a shadowy federal probe.
Cuomo is once again the party’s darling.
“It’s the third lightning strike,” Luthmann warned.
CUOMO FACES DOJ HEAT OVER COVID COVER-UP
As Cuomo mounts his comeback campaign for New York City mayor, there’s a new threat: criminal prosecution.
On April 21, House Oversight Chair James Comer officially referred Cuomo to the Department of Justice for prosecution.
The charge? Lying to Congress about his role in the deadly New York nursing home scandal during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This wasn’t a slip-up,” said Comer.
“It was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility.”
Cuomo allegedly gave false testimony to a congressional subcommittee investigating how his administration handled COVID deaths in state nursing homes.
The report accuses Cuomo of knowingly understating fatality numbers and misleading Congress.
“Lying to Congress is a federal crime,” Comer said. “Mr. Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The move comes as Cuomo campaigns to return to political office. He announced his candidacy for mayor on March 1.
Cuomo’s spokesperson dismissed the referral as “a meritless press release,” calling it “political lawfare.”
But the timing couldn’t be worse. The Trump DOJ has already signaled an aggressive posture toward Democratic officials.
Cuomo’s name now sits next to Letitia James and Anthony Fauci on the DOJ’s radar.
For Cuomo, it’s a double threat: political backlash and the potential for a federal indictment.
ADAMS’ GAMBLE: LEAVING THE DEMS TO FIGHT CUOMO
In The Unknown Podcast, Volpe called Adams’ decision to run as an independent “a sign of political weakness.” But Luthmann disagreed.
“This is just like Bloomberg,” he said. “Adams is running the same playbook.”
Adams, a former police officer and centrist Democrat, has name recognition and a public platform.
The potential three-way race includes Cuomo on the Democratic line, Curtis Sliwa for the GOP, and Adams as an independent.
Luthmann believes an Independent Adams can peel off Republican voters who won’t touch a Democratic ballot.
He also said Adams has significant support behind the scenes.
“Super PACs are lining up. He’s got Republican support in Washington, Speaker Johnson, even Trump-world.”
Adams’s crossover appeal—and Cuomo’s mounting baggage—make this a real contest.
Volpe pushed back, calling the racism claims “tired and old.” But Luthmann doubled down.
“People in New York remember 2002. Black voters haven’t forgotten McCall.”
The segment closed with one last shot across Cuomo’s bow.
“Cuomo can’t keep dodging this,” Luthmann said. “He needs to explain why his path to power is paved with Black political corpses.”
Whether voters care—or whether prosecutors act—may determine not just the mayoral race, but the fate of one of New York’s most polarizing political figures.
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