- Janice Dean lost her mother-in-law Dolores, 79, and father-in-law Mickey, 83, in March and April 2020 to COVID-19
- The pair were both living in different New York nursing homes, and Dean blamed Governor Andrew Cuomo's policies for their deaths
- Cuomo had ordered that nursing homes readmit COVID convalescent patients, which many believed allowed the virus to spread unchecked through the homes
- He reversed his order several weeks later, insisting he was simply following CDC guidance at the time, but Dean and others have never forgiven him
- On Friday it emerged that Cuomo's allies had attempted to discredit Dean, a Fox News meteorologist
- Cuomo's brother Chris, a former CNN anchor, allegedly texted Melissa DeRosa, the governor's aide, asking how they could damage Dean
- 'This Fox weather b****……Any help painting her as a far right crazy?' Chris reportedly asked DeRosa
- Dean said on Friday she was not surprised by the allegations
- Both Andrew and Chris Cuomo have been forced from their jobs in the wake of the COVID scandal
Allies of Andrew Cuomo plotted to try and discredit a Fox News meteorologist, according to reports, who became one of the former New York governor's most strident critics during the pandemic after both of her husband's parents died from COVID while at separate nursing homes.
Janice Dean, 51, lost both her father-in-law and mother-in-law to COVID-19 within weeks of each other in the spring of 2020.
The pair lived in nursing homes, and Dean blamed Cuomo's policy of forcing nursing homes to readmit convalescent COVID patients for causing their deaths.
The governor's inner circle were rattled by Dean's attacks, with Chris Cuomo - the now-fired CNN anchor - texting his brother's senior aide Melissa DeRosa, according to The New York Post, and asking: 'This Fox weather b****……Any help painting her as a far right crazy?'
Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean (pictured) was among Andrew Cuomo's most strident critics for his handling of the COVID pandemic. On Friday it was reported that the then-governor's allies attempted to discredit her
Melissa DeRosa and Chris Cuomo allegedly strategized to discredit Dean, according to a report
DeRosa, dubbed a 'mean girl by the disgraced governor, played a leading role in devising a strategy to harm Dean's credibility, according to CNBC.
It is unclear whether Chris Cuomo or DeRosa ever took action to damage her. Neither have responded to the reports.
At the time, Dean branded the governor a 'monster', and demanded he resign.
He eventually quit in August - not due to his handling of the pandemic, but thanks to sexual harassment and assault allegations filed by 11 women.
After New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed the report into his sex pest claims, Dean said: 'I've always said I don't care what brings him down.
'He's a monster and deserves to go in shame. But also, please don't forget our loved ones that are no longer with us to testify.'
Dean is seen on December 9, at the lighting of the new Fox News Christmas tree - after the original one was burnt in an arson attack
Dean's in-laws, Michael and Dolores Newman, both died from the virus in spring last year.
The Newmans were married for 59 years and lived in Brooklyn for the majority of their lives.
The 83-year-old Mickey, a former firefighter, was in the Grandell Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Brooklyn with dementia and other issues. Dee was in assisted living, at the Long Island Living Center, and hoped Mickey would join her when his health improved.
He was the first of the two to become sick, in late March 2020, and passed away not long after. Two weeks later, his wife caught coronavirus at her assisted living facility and died at a hospital on April 13.
'The reason I am vocal is because I'm trying to seek some kind of justice for my husband's parents and the thousands of other families out there,' she said.
'My response is we care because they're our are family members an we are not going to give up on this.'
On March 25, 2020, Governor Cuomo ordered nursing homes to readmit patients who were positive for COVID due to concerns about hospital capacity
Dean lost both of her in-laws to COVID-19 and holds Cuomo responsible after he sent patients who had tested positive for the virus into nursing homes last year
Dean's mother-and father-in law, Dolores and Michael Newman (above), are among the patients who died of coronavirus in nursing homes and assisted living facilities
She had long called for Cuomo's resignation and for him to face consequences for his actions.
On March 25, 2020, Governor Cuomo ordered nursing homes to readmit patients who were positive for Covid due to concerns about hospital capacity.
He reversed the ruling, on May 10, 2020, barring nursing homes from accepting patients without a negative test first.
In January, a shocking report from Letitia James' office detailed how the state had undercounted the number of nursing home deaths by as much as 50 percent.
It forced New York State's Department of Health to reveal the true death toll among nursing home residents was 12,743, rather than the previously acknowledged figure of 8,711.
The Newmans were married for 59 years and lived in Brooklyn for the majority of their lives. They are pictured above in an undated family photo
Michael and Dolores 'Dee' Newman died from COVID-19 in spring last year
Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo's spokesman, was dismissive of Dean's criticism at the time.
'Last I checked she's not a credible source on anything except maybe the weather,' he said.
On Friday night, he denied that Cuomo's team had tried to discredit her.
'We had no 'strategy sessions' about Janice Dean and to the extent that the press office had to respond to something she said, it was handled by the press office and did not rise to the level of something the governor would be engaged with,' said Azzopardi.
He added: 'I have no knowledge of this ever happening and you must ask, why then did the Attorney General not put anything about it in her report or ask any of the relevant people about it?'
Dean said she was unsurprised by the revelations and that she was targeted.
'This won’t stop me from standing up for myself and thousands of others who no longer have a voice. The man who called himself New York tough is nothing but pathetic and weak,' she said in a statement Friday.
'Seeing Chris and his brother joking on CNN while body bags were piled up outside of nursing homes was the tipping point for me.'
'My politics have never motivated my decision to speak out. All I’ve ever wanted was a fair investigation into my in-laws preventable deaths and why our disgraced governor went to great lengths to cover it up. Thousands of families deserve that without fear of being shamed or smeared.'
Dean previously criticized Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi for telling her sister in law to 'get a life' not long after both her parents died.
'In January of this year, Azzopardi was particularly misogynistic by responding to my inquiries and reporting as 'not a credible source on anything except maybe the weather,' she said.
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