Andrew Cuomo ordered to repay Covid book money by New York ethics panel
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Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor, speaks at a news conference held in his office on March 24, 20,21 in New York City.
Swimming Pool | Pool | Getty Images
On Tuesday, a New York state ethics committee disgraced a former governor. Andrew Cuomo to repay more than $5 million he received to write a bookHis handling of the Covid pandemic.
Cuomo’s lawyer instantly vowed that he would fight for the repayment demand.
It comes one month after the Joint Commission on Public Ethics. took the initial step of rescinding its approval for Cuomo to write the book “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic.”
JCOPE was among other reasons to reverse the approval. JCOPE pointed out misleading claims made by Cuomo’s attorney that no New York employees would be helping write the book.
Investigators found evidence that Cuomo’s lawyer had promised to help him with his project.
JCOPE declared in a resolution last mois that, “Contraryto the representations made for Governor Cuomo, which were disclosed to the Commission”, State property, resources, and personnel, along with staff volunteers, were used to prepare, write, edit, and publish the Book.”
Additionally, the board cited JCOPE’s withholding of the book contract before it was approved.
Jim McGuire, Cuomo’s lawyer, made the following statement on Tuesday: JCOPE’s present actions are not constitutional, surpass its authority and make it appear that they have been driven more by political interest than the facts.
McGuire said, “Should they attempt to enforce the action,” McGuire agreed.
The ethics panel’s power to demand Cuomo repay the money complicates the JCOPE order. Cuomo’s spokesman claims that Cuomo has given $500,000 of his book payments to United Way of New York State, and $1 million of compensation to his three daughters.
Cuomo resigned in August in the face of a scathing reportThe state attorney general’s Office concluded that the three-term Democrat was not eligible for a third term. sexually harassed nearly a dozen womenHis staff was involved in attempts to discredit a variety of accusers.
Cuomo denies any wrongdoing, but is currently facing several criminal investigations over his alleged actions.
Cuomo won the 2020 deal to publish the book under the imprint Penguin Random House. He was widely celebrated for his handling of New York’s coronavirus epidemic.
The crisis was handled by him since then has come to be viewed with less favourability. particularly after disclosures that his administration covered up data about deaths of nursing home residents from Covid.
Last week, a division of HarperCollins Publishers canceled plans to publish a book by Cuomo’s younger brother Chris Cuomo“Deep Denial” will appear next year.
CNN earlier this month fired Chris Cuomo as the host of a prime-time show on the cable news networkFollowing documents that were released by Attorney General Letitia Jacob, they revealed that Andrew Cuomo discussed and shared negative information with Andrew Cuomo’s staff about women who have accused him of harassing them.
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