Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean says she was cut from testifying at New York’s hearings regarding coronavirus in nursing homes and called it “a complete sham” Monday.
Both of Dean’s in-laws died from coronavirus at nursing homes amid revelations that the state ordered homes to accept patients who had tested positive for COVID-19. Dean has openly condemned Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s order, which was rescinded May 11.
Dean spoke with Brian Kilmeade on his radio show “The Brian Kilmeade Show” Monday and said she believes Cuomo or his administration made the decision to not invite her. Dean said she was told last week that she could testify. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: New York Admits Knowingly Undercounting Nursing Home Deaths After Quietly Changing Reporting Rules)
“It got lost I suppose,” Dean said of her invitation to testify. “I was supposed to be on the list. I actually filled out all the paperwork and sent the letter to all the lawmakers. … And then I was supposed to hear something over the weekend. I never did. And I was told that I was taken off the list.”
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Dean said she planned to watch the hearing, but no longer does “because it just is another indication that they don’t want a real investigation.” She blamed the deaths squarely on Cuomo, saying that the federal government gave him “everything that he wanted.”
“Instead, he blames the nursing home workers and the visitors,” Dean said. “And by the way, we couldn’t visit our in-laws. So don’t blame us. … But as far as I’m concerned, here in New York, it’s on Governor Cuomo. … And in the beginning, Brian, he said, ‘You know what? If you have a problem with the response, you blame me. The buck stops on my desk.'”
“Well, since this has happened and nursing homes have been under fire because of the coronavirus spreading like wildfire, taking my in-laws along with them, thousands of others, he has yet to take any responsibility or accountability. He has blamed every single thing and everyone else, except the man that signed the mandate himself – Governor Andrew Cuomo.”
I was going to watch the nursing home hearings today despite being taken off the list to testify, but it’s a complete waste of time. The only way we will get answers is if there is an independent investigation that involves subpoena power with on the record testimonies. https://t.co/IpZHVTYSJg
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) August 10, 2020
The Fox News senior meteorologist called for an independent investigation into New York’s nursing home coronavirus crisis. Her call for a federal investigation comes after Cuomo rejected the idea, calling it “political.”
“So, you know, the only way we’re gonna get answers, Brian, is if there is an independent investigation, not one that is conducted by the Cuomo administration themselves, which is what they did,” Dean said. “They investigated themselves and said we didn’t do anything wrong and we need subpoena power.”
“You know, the hearings today do not have anybody coming in that were ordered by subpoena. And that’s the only way we’re going to get answers. I’m not sure if we’re going to get them. I would like to see a federal investigation.”