Close aides to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, including his brother and former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, strategized about ways to discredit Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean as her criticism of the governor’s handling of the pandemic began to score with the public.
Dean, who lost both parents because of former Governor Cuomo’s pandemic policies regarding New York nursing homes, was a lone voice in the national media criticizing Cuomo who, at one point, was mentioned as an alternative to Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination for president.
Cuomo signed an executive order in March 2020 that allowed more than 9,000 COVID-positive patients into nursing homes. It was a catastrophic decision that cost the lives of 15,000 nursing home residents and staff, one that Cuomo spent the rest of his time as governor trying to cover up — with the help of the national media.
“As I have said from day one, this was never about politics. I watched first-hand how the governor’s office treated grieving families trying to get answers about the March 25th 2020 executive order to admit over 9,000 Covid positive patients into nursing homes. Instead of addressing our concerns or expressing their condolences, Cuomo’s spokesperson Rich Azzopardi called us a ‘death cult’ and told my sister in law to ‘get a life’ not long after both her parents died,” Dean told CNBC on Friday.
Dean became a potent critic of Cuomo’s policies and thus a target for the brothers’ anger.
According to a source, canned CNN anchor Chris wanted to fight to defend his brother and texted with Andrew’s staff about how to discredit Dean.
The source said Chris allegedly asked in a text to an Andrew Cuomo staffer how he could go after “this Fox weather bitch……Any help painting her as a far right crazy?”
It is also believed he participated in calls with the governor’s staff, including Melissa DeRosa, about how to hit back at Dean by focusing on her political leanings. However, as a meteorologist, she doesn’t usually get involved in politics.
Melissa DeRosa, who had served as secretary to the governor, tried to assist Chris Cuomo in crafting a messaging strategy that would discredit Dean. Sources also confirmed that the governor himself was present at some of these strategy sessions.
Related: Is This the Real Reason Chris Cuomo Got Fired?
Dean is not a “far-right crazy” by any means. In her statement to CNBC, which broke the targeting story, she made it clear that the Cuomo boys’ tactics were unethical and misogynistic.
Over the last year and a half I have seen victims of Andrew Cuomo and those demanding accountability demeaned and smeared in the press and on social media. In January of this year, Azzopardi was particularly misogynistic by responding to my inquiries and reporting as ‘not a credible source on anything except maybe the weather.’ So while I am not surprised to hear that the Cuomo’s administration alongside his brother Chris Cuomo were doing the same with me, I am glad these details are coming to light.”
Andrew Cuomo will never be put on trial for allowing 9,000 COVID-positive patients into nursing homes, resulting in the preventable deaths of 15,000 people. He will never be held accountable for deliberately undercounting the death toll that his stupidity and arrogance created.
But he will have to live with that knowledge for the rest of his life.
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