FACT CHECK: No, The Military Did Not Sentence Andrew Cuomo To Death
A Facebook livestream claims former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was convicted and sentenced to death by a military panel at Guantanamo Bay.
Verdict: False
Cuomo was not convicted or sentenced to death by the military. The rumor stems from a website that says it publishes “humor, parody, and satire.”
Fact Check:
After an investigation by the New York State Attorney General’s Office found he sexually harassed multiple women, Cuomo, who has denied the allegations, resigned in August from the position of governor, The New York Times reported. New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ office had previously put out a report that, according to a press release, found a directive Cuomo signed effectively requiring the “admission of COVID-19 patients into nursing homes may have put residents at increased risk of harm in some facilities” and, according to the Associated Press, may spurred elderly COVID-19 deaths in the state.
The Facebook livestream’s robotic narrator alleges Cuomo was convicted and sentenced to death on Oct. 11 at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility after a military panel held him “responsible for the needless deaths of thousands of senior citizens who perished during the first wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic. The narrator goes on to claim an execution date has not yet been set for the former New York governor.
In reality, the supposed military court proceedings described in the video never took place. There is no mention of Cuomo being taken to Guantanamo Bay or sentenced to death by a military panel in any press releases available on the Justice Department or Defense Department’s respective websites. Check Your Fact previously debunked the claim that Navy SEALs had on Aug. 16 arrested him.
Cuomo has been active on Twitter in the days before and after he was purportedly sentenced to death. None of his tweets refer to him receiving a conviction or death sentence from a military panel. It almost certainly would have made headlines if such a thing had occurred, yet no major news outlets have reported on it.
The robotic narrator’s words match those from an Oct. 13 article published by Real Raw News. A notice on Real Raw News’ “About Us” page states, “This website contains humor, parody, and satire.” (RELATED: Did Kathy Hochul Announce New Yorkers Must Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 To Get A Driver’s License Or Vehicle Registration?)
Nevertheless, social media users shared the article as if its account was factual. The baseless rumor of Cuomo’s military arrest also stemmed from a Real Raw News article.