(Reuters) – An ethics panel in New York ordered Andrew Cuomo the $5.1million he received as a memoir payment. A spokesperson for the commission stated that Cuomo was found to have not followed state ethics regulations.

A spokesperson for the Joint Commission on Public Ethics stated that the commission voted 12-1 in favor of the order. Reuters hasn’t seen the full resolution of the commission.

Cuomo will have 30 days to give the money that he used to write the book “American Crisis” (Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 pandemic) to the state. The state attorney general’s office will have the authority to decide how the funds are dispersed, the New York Times reported.

Jim McGuire, a Cuomo lawyer, made a statement in which he pledged to challenge the order.

“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,” McGuire said. “Should they seek to enforce this action, we’ll see them in court.”

The commission in November found that Cuomo had failed to comply with state regulations regarding the activities of officials outside the office, including writing books for royalties and other compensation. Cuomo allegedly violated state regulations prohibiting him from using state resources in order to finish the book. The commission also stated that Cuomo misrepresented its completion time.

Cuomo (a Democrat) resigned as governor after numerous allegations of sexual misconduct. Cuomo has denied all wrongdoing.

Initial praise was for his response to a severe coronavirus epidemic in New York. However, media began to criticize him for his handling of a crippling coronavirus outbreak in New York.

The Crown Publishing Group published Cuomo’s book October 2020. It is a subsidiary to Penguin Random House.

According to the Times, Cuomo donated $500,000 from the profits to charity and put $1 million more in a trust fund for his daughters.