“Last night, damning information was leaked and the ugly truth is starting to surface. After months of cover-ups and deflections, it’s clear that the nursing home death toll was stonewalled by the governor and his administration out of fear that it would be used against them by federal prosecutors. This is beyond inexcusable.A criminal investigation must be conducted immediately.

“Now, the governor’s top aides are spinning. They’re desperately trying to create a timeline of events to cover their tracks. We’re not buying it – and neither should the 19.5 million New Yorkers who deserve better from their state government, particularly from those at the top who have been calling the shots without any sort of accountability or transparency for months.

“I applaud the work of advocates, the spectacular reporting by members of the Legislative Correspondents Association and Capitol Region outlets, as well as my own colleagues who have refused to back down. These answers are months overdue, and there is no excuse in the world that will change the facts of the situation. It’s not only time for the truth, in its entirety, to be exposed, but also for the governor’s emergency powers to be stripped and for the checks-and-balances of the Legislature be restored.”