ALBANY, NY – Former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo won’t have to turn over the proceeds of his $5.1 million book deal, after a judge ruled Tuesday that the board is religious The German state violated Mr. Cuomo’s due process in finding the money.
The now-defunct Joint Committee on Public Ethics, known as JCOPE, originally approved Mr. Cuomo’s book contract in 2020, but revoked it a few months after he left office, says Mr. that he was given the green light under false pretext, improper use of state. resources for writing a memoir, “America’s Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic.”
Mr. Cuomo’s aides said he followed his attorney’s advice in allowing assistants to help him with the book, as long as they followed their lead. However, a congressional investigation found that while some staff members appeared to have taken leave or personal time to work on the book project, time was also being spent on it “in the course of their work.” ordinary work”.
Mr. Cuomo “has taken advantage of the time of many public employees, as well as his own, to further his personal gain during a time of global pandemic,” the Council report said.
In her 16-page ruling, Judge Denise A. Hartman of the State Supreme Court in Albany said JCOPE had exceeded its authority, stripping Mr. Cuomo of his rights in the process.
“Here JCOPE issued consent for outsourcing, then unilaterally identified misconduct, then withdrew consent, and finally imposed a penalty for violation – all without the opportunity for a due process hearing is expressly set forth in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Executive Law,” wrote Judge Hartman.
What might happen next is not immediately clear. JCOPE is without a doubt, seen as a toothless body that made tenders for politicians who appointed its board, defunct. It was replaced this summer by a new Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government.
The judge left the door open for a new ethics committee to again sue Cuomo over the book sale. She noted that when lawmakers created the replacement body earlier this year, they included a provision asking the agency to review “pending questions or issues.”
Any review by the previous courts would be “premature” and “must await the finalization of the administrative procedure,” she said.
A call to a spokesman for the new agency was not immediately returned. Outside attorneys representing the defunct agency declined to comment.
Cuomo’s allies cheered the ruling, saying it showed it was all about politics – “the truth and the law are damned,” as his spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, said.
“JCOPE’s utter lawlessness in Governor Cuomo’s treatment has been exposed and the rule of law has prevailed,” Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin said in a written statement. “JCOPE’s conduct is shameful, illegal and a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
