Disgraced ex-Gov. Cuomo allowed to keep $5.1M from COVID book deal after court winBy Zach Williams
August 16, 2022
Disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo can keep his pandemic memoir money — at least for now.
An Albany County court ruled Tuesday that a now-defunct state ethics watchdog overstepped its authority when it ordered Cuomo to surrender the $5.1 million he received from a controversial book deal inked while still in office.
The Joint Commission on Public Ethics, which was wound up at the end of June, had argued that Cuomo – who resigned amid multiple scandals last year – improperly used staff and other state resources while writing “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic” in 2020.
But the court ruled that JCOPE unfairly pursued its case against Cuomo, who has denied wrongdoing.
“JCOPE issued the approval for the outside activity, then unilaterally determined wrongdoing, then withdrew the approval, and finally imposed the disgorgement penalty – all without the opportunity for a due process hearing,” reads the ruling by state Supreme Court Judge Denise Hartman.
However, the newly-established Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, which officially replaced JCOPE last month, could still pursue the former governor, who has denied wrongdoing.
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Source:
https://nypost.com/2022/08/16/andrew-cuomo-gets-to-keep-5-1-million-book-deal-following-tuesday-court-win/
