New York's ethics and lobbying regulator is reportedly making former Gov. Andrew Cuomo return the proceeds from his book "American Crisis" about the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the wake of the 12-1 decision by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE), Cuomo has 30 days to turn over the proceeds from his $5 million book deal to state Attorney General Letitia James' office, Spectrum News reported Tuesday.
The unprecedented move comes a month after the commission rescinded its approval of Cuomo’s book deal after investigators found he flouted the terms of the agreement by using staff and state resources to help him write the book, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.
Cuomo wrote the book at the height of his popularity, when he was holding daily, nationally televised coronavirus briefings. But his star fell amid sexual harassment allegations against him by former aides and other women that led to his resignation last August.
A lawyer for Cuomo blasted JCOPE's vote.
"JCOPE’s actions today are unconstitutional, exceed its own authority, and appear to be driven by political interests rather than the facts and the law," Jim McGuire said in a statement, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.
Spectrum News noted there are potential complications in the JCOPE decision, noting Cuomo placed $1 million from the book proceeds into a blind trust for his daughters. He also donated $500,000 to the United Way in the Capital Region. And income tax returns Cuomo made publicly available last April indicated he was yet to receive the full $5.1 million that had been part of the contract with his publisher.
The ethics commission earlier this year moved to rescind what had been staff approval in 2020 for the ex-governor to write the book, which had been predicated on Cuomo not using government resources to write it, Spectrum News noted.
Meanwhile, a report released last month by the Democrat-led Assembly Judiciary Committee found Cuomo used state resources — including government staff — to help him write the book, the news outlet reported.
Cuomo and his aides have maintained government officials and staff who worked on the book did so on a volunteer basis, comparing it to legislative aides working weekend and off hours on political campaigns.
But witnesses told Assembly Judiciary Committee investigators they were not under the impression working on the book was voluntary, and was instead a central focus of the governor's office during that time, Spectrum News reported.
James' office is separately investigating the use of government resources to help Cuomo write the book.
Cuomo resigned in August after James' office released a report detailing allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by Cuomo.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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