New York State Chief Choose Janet DiFiore — who was nominated to her put up by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2016 — obtained precedence COVID-19 testing together with a few of her members of the family final yr, state officers mentioned Friday.
DiFiore is the most recent distinguished New Yorker with ties to the governor — together with Cuomo’s members of the family — to be revealed to have gotten precedence testing from state public well being officers through the COVID-19 pandemic.
A public well being nurse and members of the state Nationwide Guard have been ordered to DiFiore’s non-public residence in Southampton on Lengthy Island in August to conduct the testing, in line with the Albany Instances Union, which first reported the testing.
The take a look at samples have been then transferred to a state trooper, who instantly rushed them to a state-run laboratory for precedence processing, the paper mentioned.
The state Workplace of Court docket Administration confirmed that DiFiore — who might wind up sitting on any future impeachment jury of Cuomo — and her relations had been examined at her Southampton residence final summer time.
A spokesman instructed The Submit Friday the testing befell after a younger member of the choose’s household had examined optimistic for the infectious illness.
“A member of her household, who they’d quarantined with, was suspected to have been uncovered to the virus. She requested testing and the Division of Well being responded,” mentioned OCA spokesman Lucian Chalfen.
“What and the way they dealt with the samples was outdoors of our purview. It was the one time {that a} request was made.”
The precedence testing is one matter being scrutinized as a part of a number of probes of allegations towards Cuomo and his administration’s dealing with of the COVID pandemic.
Two state investigations are being performed by Lawyer Common Letitia James and the Meeting Judiciary Committee.
James is sexual harassment accusations leveled at Cuomo by present and former staffers, in addition to claims that authorities sources have been used to assist the the governor publish his $5.1 million COVID memoir.
The Meeting’s Judiciary Committee’s impeachment probe can be trying on the sexual harassment claims in addition to whether or not the Cuomo administration intentionally undercounted COVID-related nursing residence deaths, the e book deal and the precedence COVID testing situation.
In the meantime the US Lawyer’s Workplace in Brooklyn is investigating the Cuomo administration’s COVID insurance policies, nursing residence deaths and the e book deal.
If Cuomo is impeached by the Meeting, a trial to take away the three-term Democrat could be held within the state Senate. As chief choose, DiFiore would sit as one of many jurors.
DiFiore is married to Dennis Glazer, whose former legislation agency — Davis Polk & Wardwell — was employed by the Meeting to help in its impeachment probe.
That connection has been known as an “unacceptable battle of curiosity” by lawyer for ex-Cuomo aide Charlotte Bennett, who’s amongst his most outspoken accusers.
The OCA spokesman mentioned the testing situation would haven’t any influence on DiFiore’s capacity to take part in a Senate trial on Cuomo.
“Under no circumstances, she together with all her colleagues on the Court docket of Appeals, will carry out their constitutional duties as is acceptable,” Chalfen mentioned.
It was revealed earlier this yr that Cuomo’s brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, his mom, Matilda, and different Cuomo relations got precedence testing by state well being division officers. The outcomes have been then rushed to the state lab in Albany for fast turnaround of outcomes.
Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing when confronted with the assorted accusations.
