NY Ethics Panel Orders Andrew Cuomo to Pay Back $5.1 Mil in Book Profits
Disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was ordered by New York’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics to pay back $5.1 million in book profits Cuomo raked in while the pandemic raged through his state.
From the New York Post:
The extraordinary resolution was approved by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics in a 12-1 vote — a month after the ethics agency voted to revoke its prior approval allowing Cuomo to earn outside income from his book “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic” while he was still governor and New York was in the throes of the deadly coronavirus outbreak.JCOPE rescinded its approval after concluding that Cuomo violated pledges not to use state resources or government staffers to prepare the book. He must pay the money to the state by next month.The resolution, drafted by commissioner David McNamara, a Senate Republican appointee, said Cuomo now “lacked the legal authority to engage in outside activity and receive compensation in regard to the book” since JCOPE rescinded its approval.“Gov. Cuomo is not legally entitled to retain compensation … for any form of outside activity related to the book,” McNamara said.The panel found Cuomo’s book proceeds should be turned over to state Attorney General Letitia James — whose office’s investigative report forced the three-term Democrat’s resignation after substantiating a slew of accusations of mistreatment and harassment leveled against the disgraced ex-governor by current and former staffers.“It is ordered that by no later than 30 days from the date of this resolution, Gov. Cuomo pay over to the attorney general of the State of New York an amount equal to the compensation paid to him for his outside activities related to the book,” the resolution says.James would determine to whom the profits would be distributed.Cuomo’s book deal also is being investigated by James, the FBI, and the Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office. The state Assembly Judiciary Committee’s impeachment report found that Cuomo used staffers extensively to help prepare the book — though he insisted the work was done voluntarily and legally.Cuomo’s team was also accused of low-balling coronavirus-related nursing home deaths while he negotiated the book deal, leading to accusations he was trying to look better to make a quick buck off the tragedy.
Cuomo’s legal team claims JCOPE hasn’t the legal authority to make such a demand and promised to take the matter to court, should the state attempt to enforce the resolution.
In addition to being investigated by the the state’s AG, the FBI, and the Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office, the DOJ is also reportedly investigating Cuomo.
That sound you hear playing in the background is the world’s tiniest violin.
For our extensive coverage on the Cuomo disgrace, see here.
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