DOJ requests Covid-19 nursing home data from four Democratic-led states and says agency may investigate
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division “is evaluating whether to initiate investigations under the federal ‘Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act,'” the department said in a statement announcing the request. “The Civil Rights Division seeks to determine if the state orders requiring admission of COVID-19 patients to nursing homes is responsible for the deaths of nursing home residents.”
In a joint statement on Wednesday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that more than a dozen other states had issued similar orders based on federal guidelines but the Justice Department was targeting these four states because they’re led by Democrats.
New Jersey’s Democratic governor said that it “speaks volumes” that the letter was issued during the Republican National Convention and is focused on four states with Democratic governors.
“The fact that this request from the Department of Justice, sent only to four states with Democratic governors, was announced by press release during the Republican National Convention speaks volumes about the nature of the review,” Alyana Alfaro, Gov. Phil Murphy’s press secretary, told CNN, adding that the office doesn’t comment on investigative inquiries.
Whitmer’s press secretary, Tiffany Brown, similarly said the timing of the request “should make it crystal clear that this is nothing more than election-year politics.”
CNN has reached out to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf for comment.
Cuomo announced a new policy in May that said a hospital cannot discharge a person who is Covid-19 positive to a nursing home.
The DOJ noted in its release that New York’s high coronavirus death toll is comprised of “many” elderly people.
“Protecting the rights of some of society’s most vulnerable members, including elderly nursing home residents, is one of our country’s most important obligations,” Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband said in the statement. “We must ensure they are adequately cared for with dignity and respect and not unnecessarily put at risk.”
This story has been updated with governors’ responses.
CNN’s Joe Ruiz contributed to this report.