(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Saturday that he is running for mayor of New York City, relaunching his political career following a yearslong exile over a barrage of sexual harassment accusations. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s Justice Department hasn’t indicated whether it will pursue House Republicans’ calls to prosecute Cuomo for lying to Congress.

In a 17-minute video, Cuomo pitched himself as an accomplished moderate who can save a city he described as threatening and “out of control,” and is capable of navigating the delicate balance between working with Republican President Donald Trump and fighting him, when necessary.

“I am not saying this is going to be easy. It won’t be easy, but I know we can turn the city around, and I believe I can help,” he said.

Our city is in crisis. That’s why I am running to be Mayor of New York City. We need government to work. We need effective leadership. https://t.co/a0vVYRF4iP pic.twitter.com/JIrhD1Edqs

— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) March 1, 2025

The Democrat is expected to mount a formidable campaign, despite entering the race deeply wounded by the scandal that forced his resignation as governor in 2021.

He takes on a large field of primary opponents with low name recognition plus an incumbent, Mayor Eric Adams, who — for now — remains under indictment on federal corruption charges and under scrutiny from critics who question his independence from Trump.

Cuomo brings fundraising prowess, a record of accomplishments over three terms as governor and potential support among moderate voters who helped propel Adams to office.

Yet it is unclear whether voters are willing to give Cuomo another chance following his remarkable downfall, when he went from being hailed for his leadership during the onslaught of COVID-19 to being castigated for his behavior with women and questioned about his pandemic response.

House Republicans have gone as far as to call for the Justice Department to prosecute Cuomo. The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic sent a criminal referral for Cuomo to the DOJ last October, recommending that he be charged with making false statements to Congress.

“In an apparent effort to shield himself from accountability, evidence suggests Mr. Cuomo knowingly and willfully made false statements to the Select Subcommittee on numerous occasions about material aspects of New York’s COVID-19 nursing home disaster and the ensuing cover-up,” the Coronavirus Subcommittee said in a press release.

According to the subcommittee, evidence shows that Cuomo reviewed, edited, and even drafted portions of a purportedly independent and peer-reviewed New York State Department of Health report, which was used to support his deadly pandemic-era nursing home policies.

However, Cuomo told the subcommittee in his June transcribed interview that he had nothing to do with that report. Cuomo’s lie is why the subcommittee wanted him criminally charged.

🚨The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic is referring Former New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for criminal prosecution.

Evidence suggests Andrew Cuomo knowingly and willfully made materially false statements about New York’s COVID-19 nursing home disaster and the… pic.twitter.com/kJrOQpXHLn

— Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic (@COVIDSelect) October 31, 2024

“Andrew Cuomo repeatedly lied to Congress, and he must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Both witness testimony and new documents serve as evidence that the former Governor made false statements to the Select Subcommittee during our COVID-19 nursing home investigation,” subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said in a press release.

“This deliberate and self-serving attempt to avoid accountability for the thousands of lives lost in New York nursing homes during the pandemic will not stand. If his prior criminal activity is any reflection, Andrew Cuomo is not a man of principle, and his willingness to lie to the Select Subcommittee is unfortunately a continuance of this behavior,” he added.

“Plain and simple, making false statements to Congress is a federal crime.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.