Cuomo files suit against NY ethics board over book profits

ALBANY, N.Y. - Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Friday filed a lawsuit against the state's ethics commission, the latest move in an ongoing dispute over his earnings from a book about his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the lawsuit, filed in state Supreme Court in Albany, Cuomo accused the Joint Commission on Public Ethics of violating his constitutional rights and showing "extraordinary bias against him."

A spokesperson for JCOPE said they had no comment.

In December, JCOPE ordered Cuomo to turn over money from his book "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic." Cuomo's camp decried the order and promised a legal fight.

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Shortly after, though, the state attorney general's office issued a letter saying the commission had more steps to take before the office could get involved in trying to claim the money.

The commission has regulatory oversight over lobbyists and government officials. Its staff had granted approval for Cuomo's book deal in July 2020, after being told that Cuomo would not use state personnel or resources.

A state Assembly investigation found that wasn't the case, that state resources and personnel were involved in the book coming to fruition.

But Cuomo’s representatives have said any state employees involved with the book were using personal time, not work time.