Assemblyman John Salka (R-Brookfield) issued the following statement in regard to the report of state Attorney General Letitia James of Jan. 28, 2021:
“The attorney general’s report released today is appalling. We have known for months that nursing home deaths have been grossly underreported, and now we finally have confirmation from the attorney general. The governor has lied to protect himself and passed blame for much of New York’s issues on to the federal government. Many of the residents and staff lacked proper PPE and COVID-19 tests that would have prevented an unnecessary risk that the governor was willing to take. Nursing home patients went months with little to no contact with family and loved ones. They deserve better than this. All New Yorkers deserve transparency amid this pandemic that has instilled fear in our communities. I am calling on the Legislature to remove the governor’s emergency powers. How can we trust Gov. Cuomo and his administration when they have lied repeatedly to the people of New York?”
Salka represents the 121st Assembly District, encompasses all of Madison County and portions of Oneida and Otsego counties.