State Ethics Commission, JCOPE, has voted to rescind prior approval for former Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s book on the Pandemic. The book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” came with a reported $5.1 million deal for Cuomo and was reportedly written at least in part by state employees during their off-hours.
JCOPE commissioners reportedly voted 12-1 to revoke the approval.
Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi issued a response statement saying
“These JCOPE members are acting outside the scope of their authority and are carrying the water of the politicians who appointed them. It is the height of hypocrisy for Hochul and the legislature’s appointees to take this position, given that these elected officials routinely use their own staff for political and personal assistance on their own time.”
JCOPE previously approved Cuomo’s seven-figure book deal and voted against revoking that approval less than a month ago.
State Senator George Borrello issued a statement lauding the decision, saying, “As numerous investigations into Andrew Cuomo’s corrupt practices continue, the decision by JCOPE to revoke its earlier approval of the former Governor’s lucrative book deal is a step towards righting their past mistakes and bringing accountability to one of Cuomo’s many ethical abuses.”
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