Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik today sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul urging her to immediately push for the removal of Jim Malatras from his post as Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY).
In the letter, Stefanik pointed out that in his role as a senior aide for former Governor Cuomo, Malatras directly attacked and sought to discredit one of Cuomo’s victims. He also played a key role in former Governor Cuomo’s attempt to falsify and withhold data on COVID-19 nursing home deaths. The Cuomo Administration underreported these deaths by 55.7%. This evidence comes from recently released transcripts of the independent investigation into Cuomo’s criminal behavior.
“Governor Hochul has failed to keep her promise to clean house of Cuomo’s corrupt criminal henchmen,” Stefanik said. “And it is shameful that Jim Malatras is still receiving taxpayer-funded paychecks and serving as SUNY Chancellor, even though we know he worked to discredit Cuomo’s victims and played a key role in producing Cuomo’s corrupt nursing home death reports. He is unfit to lead the SUNY system. New Yorkers, and especially our students, deserve better.”
Before taking on the role of governor, Hochul promised to clean house of staff and officials. In August, she said that “no one who was named as doing anything unethical in the report will remain in my administration.”
Read the full letter here.
