During a heated hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) confronted former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, accusing him of gross negligence during the COVID-19 pandemic and criticizing him for allowing a Chinese spy to work in his administration. Greene’s remarks came as Cuomo testified about his administration’s handling of nursing homes during the height of the pandemic.
Cuomo’s administration has been under fire for its controversial decision in March 2020 to force nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients, a policy that many believe led to a significant increase in elderly deaths. But Greene focused not just on this decision — she also raised concerns about Linda Sun, a former Cuomo aide arrested on charges of espionage for the Chinese government.
“Mr. Cuomo, you thanked China while you had a Chinese spy working for you,” Greene said. “Are you the dumbest tool of the Chinese government, or were you fully aware of her actions?”
Sun and her husband were arrested in September, facing serious charges including visa fraud and money laundering. Greene linked Sun’s presence in Cuomo’s administration to growing fears of Chinese infiltration in U.S. politics, calling on Cuomo to explain how such a breach could have happened under his watch.
Cuomo responded by downplaying Sun’s role, calling her a “junior member” of his team. However, he acknowledged the importance of federal and state cooperation in identifying and preventing foreign agents from entering U.S. political offices.
In addition to grilling Cuomo on the spy scandal, Greene reminded the committee of the numerous sexual harassment allegations made against Cuomo by former staffers. She criticized the Department of Justice for not pursuing the claims further, suggesting that Cuomo received political cover from his allies.
