The alleged coverup of New York's nursing home deaths was first reported by the New York Post. In an audio recording obtained by the Post, Melissa DeRosa, Cuomo's chief of staff, told a small group of Democratic lawmakers that the governor's office "basically froze" when they were asked by the U.S. Department of Justice to turn in the data, because they worried that then-President Donald Trump would use the information as a "giant political football" against them.

"[President Trump] starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes," DeRosa said during the private call, according to the NY Post. "He starts going after [New Jersey Gov. Phil] Murphy, starts going after [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, starts going after [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer."

De Blasio, who has frequently been at odds with Cuomo over the handling of the CCP virus pandemic, said the Post's report is "really disturbing" and "very troubling."

"It's very troubling. We've got to know more. We now need a full accounting of what happened," de Blasio said on WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer show."

"We now need a full accounting of what happened," he said. "Think about seniors who—their lives were in the balance and their families just desperate to get them the help they needed. We need to know exactly what happened here. We need to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

The mayor's comments came as DeRosa sought to clarify her remarks, saying in a statement that the governor's office was "comprehensive and transparent" in its responses to the Justice Department.