Washington, DC (April 19, 2026)

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a wrongful death lawsuit against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tied to the state’s controversial nursing home policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The case was brought by Daniel Arbeeny, who alleged that Cuomo’s 2020 directive requiring nursing homes to accept patients regardless of COVID status contributed to his father’s death at a Brooklyn facility. Lower courts dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that state officials were protected by qualified immunity while acting in their official capacity during a public health emergency.

Cuomo’s representatives said the decision reinforces prior findings clearing him of wrongdoing, pointing to multiple reviews that concluded New York’s guidance aligned with federal policy at the time. They also cited data indicating the facility in question did not admit COVID-positive patients until after Arbeeny’s father had left.

Arbeeny, however, criticized the Supreme Court’s decision not to take up the case. His father, Norman Arbeeny, died at 89 shortly after being discharged from the facility.

The issue of nursing home deaths has remained a point of controversy in New York since the early months of the pandemic, including disputes over reporting totals and calls for accountability from affected families.

The Supreme Court did not provide a reason for declining to review the case, which is standard practice when it denies a petition.