Justice Department investigating Andrew Cuomo over congressional testimony

The move comes after the Trump administration helped get corruption charges dropped against Eric Adams, who is seeking re-election as mayor.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a leading contender in the New York City mayoral race, over his testimony to Congress last year, according to a person familiar with the matter.

House Republicans had requested a federal investigation into Cuomo, a Democrat, arguing he lied to the House Oversight Committee last year when he said he hadn’t been involved in reviewing a report from the state Health Department about the state's handling of the coronavirus pandemic when he was governor.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment Tuesday night. The New York Times first reported the investigation.

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, questioned the timing of the news."We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now? The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple—something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against," Azzopardi said in a statement.

He also defended Cuomo's congressional testimony.