Cuomo hires Elkan Abramowitz to defend executive chamber in federal nursing home probe
ALBANY — The Cuomo administration has hired a high-profile defense attorney who has counted Woody Allen and Harvey Weinstein among his clients to represent the executive chamber as federal investigators probe the state’s handling of nursing homes during the pandemic.
Lawyer Elkan Abramowitz confirmed to the Daily News he and his firm are representing Gov. Cuomo and his top officials in relation to the the nursing home inquiry, but have “not been retained on the sexual harassment matter.”
Abramowitz, a former federal prosecutor, already has a history with the governor as he served as Cuomo’s legal counsel when former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara opened an inquiry into the dissolution of the defunct Moreland Commission.
He has also represented a rogues’ gallery of clients including Allen and disgraced movie mogul Weinstein.
In 2015, Abramowitz came under fire for helping Weinstein avoid charges for admittedly groping a model after it came to light that he had donated thousands to Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr.’s campaign war chest.
Abramowitz has also served as Woody Allen’s lawyer, representing the beleaguered director in his losing custody battle with actress Mia Farrow in the 1990s and defending the director when Dylan Farrow openly accused her adoptive father of sexual assault.
He also led an investigation in 1990 into former mayor David Dinkins related to a stock transfer the elected official made to his son.
Last week, Cuomo refused to say whether he or his top officials have received or responded to subpoenas as federal prosecutors probe New York’s handling of nursing homes during the COVID crisis.
The governor said the state has been in contact with the Department of Justice since last year.
“We have had requests from the Department of Justice since last year when President Trump accused Democratic states of the COVID problem,” he said when asked about the investigation being conducted by Brooklyn prosecutors and the FBI during a call with reporters.
Cuomo went on to point out that a request for information about nursing home deaths from the feds last year only targeted Democratic-run states.
“Let’s be accurate, President Trump first denied the COVID problem ... his second strategy was, ‘OK there’s a COVID problem, but it’s caused by Democratic states,’” he said. “The inquiry has been going on since last August. We have complied with the inquiry and we will continue to.”
The Cuomo administration is facing mounting criticism and accusations of a coverup over the counting of nursing home deaths and the stonewalling of requests for an accurate tally from lawmakers, reporters and watchdog groups.
