WASHINGTON - The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran for mayor in New York City, who last year conducted a criminal investigation into Congress’ testimony.

House Republicans demanded a federal investigation into Democrat Cuomo, who argued that he lied to the House Oversight Committee last year when he said he was not involved in reviewing state health departments’ reports on the state’s coronavirus pandemic as governor.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment Tuesday night. The New York Times reported the investigation for the first time.

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi questioned the timing of the news.

"We've never been told any of these issues, so why is anyone leaking it now? The answer is obvious: It's simple and simple legal and electoral interventions - President Trump and his top Justice Department officials say they're against it."

He also defended Cuomo's congressional testimony.

“Governor Cuomo has testified truthfully about his memories of the incident four years ago, and he proposed to resolve any follow-up questions from the subcommittee, but from the outset it was politically political.”

The Republican-led committee said it has questioned whether Cuomo is aware of people outside the health department who plays a role in drafting or editing review. Cuomo said he didn't.

The committee said Cuomo's former executive assistant testified that the notes written in the draft report looked like they were in his handwriting. It also filed a June 2020 email sent to staff in the Governor’s Office that “the Governor’s editor has attached your review.”

Cuomo resigned as governor's resignation in August 2021 after a report from the office of state Attorney General Letitia James found he sexually harassed several women, including former aides, and the state legislature conducted an improper investigation. Cuomo denied the allegations in James' report.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia launched an investigation before former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro replaced Ed Martin as interim U.S. attorney, according to people familiar with the matter.

Martin revealed on his last day of office that he faced an investigation by the Washington Discipline Attorneys Office, who planned to "sham" the Justice Department of Justice not to commit crimes last week, a significant deviation from the Justice Department agreement.

In the early days of Trump's second term, several Justice Department officials resigned for handling a federal case by New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Trump administration officials hope that corruption cases against Adams have fallen after working with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement. At the time Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said the criminal investigation was hindering Adams' ability to resolve "illegal immigration and violent crimes."

A federal judge last month permanently dismissed the allegations against Adams, saying potential future charges cannot be used as "leverage" against him.