Prior to leaving office over sexual harassment allegations, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was hailed by many Democrats for how he responded to COVID-19.

Yet Cuomo is now facing the prospect of criminal charges over actions he allegedly took during the pandemic. 

Cuomo accused of lying about reported that undercounted deaths

According to the New York Post, members of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic will refer Cuomo to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for prosecution.

At issue are allegations that the then-governor made false statements concerning a July 6, 2020 report on those who passed away in nursing homes.

Cuomo maintained that he did not prompt, draft, or review the report which undercounted COVID-related nursing home deaths in his state by 46%.

"I did not. Maybe it was in the inbox, but I did not," Cuomo said of the report when testifying before the House subcommittee earlier this year.

However, the 104-page criminal referral cited emails sent by staff members which suggest that the then-governor did indeed play a role in reviewing and editing the document.

Cuomo's lawyers submit criminal prosecution referral of their own

"Documents prove Mr. Cuomo's testimony to be false," subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup said in a statement provided to the Post.

However, the newspaper noted that Cuomo's attorneys are accusing Wenstrup of "colluding" with Fox News weather anchor Janice Dean.

They pointed out how Dean's "husband, Sean Newman, is a named plaintiff in a private lawsuit seeking damages from Governor Cuomo and others based on allegations regarding the March 25, 2020 nursing-home advisory."

What's more, the former governor's legal team has submitted a prosecution referral of its own to Attorney General Merrick Garland targeting the subcommittee.

"This interrogation far exceeded the Subcommittee’s jurisdiction and appears to have been an improper effort to advantage the interests of private litigants against Governor Cuomo, warranting investigation by the Department of Justice," the letter stated.

Spokesman slams use of tax dollars to "score cheap political points"

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi released a statement as well, declaring, "This is a taxpayer-funded farce and an illegal use of Congress’ investigative authority."

"The committee counsels … know there is no basis for this pre-election [MAGA] exercise and affirmatively chose to act unethically in order to help their masters score cheap political points," Azzopardi complained.

"We look forward to Rep. [Elise] Stefanik and [Nicole] Malliotakis and the committee counsels having to answer for their conduct before the DOJ," he added.