The New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) said Friday the 9th that they are investigating a formal complaint, but did not explain exactly what they are investigating; according to the New York Post, it is about the governor’s use of state employees to help write a new book promoting his personal leadership during last year’s epidemic and his use of his office to prioritize testing for his family, both of which are controversial in Cuomo.
The New York Post reported on Sept. 9 that after a two-hour closed session, JCOPE legal counsel Monica Stamm issued a statement saying, “JCOPE has discussed and authorized intervention in unnamed ‘investigative matters. ” Stamm declined to explicitly make public the targets of the investigation, but JCOPE called an emergency meeting after there were allegations that Cuomo abused his power during the outbreak.
JCOPE commissioner George Weissman said they were told they should refuse to provide any confidential information; by law, JCOPE commissioners are prohibited from discussing internal investigations and face misdemeanor charges if they divulge information. When the commission has confirmed misconduct by the subject of the investigation or reached a settlement with him, the information will be released to the outside world.
Cuomo employees told the media on the 8th that they did not “volunteer” to promote Cuomo’s new book, but were treated as part of their “day job”.
JCOPE Commissioner Gary Lavine told the Post that Governor Cuomo’s book was a problem from the start. Lavine noted that Cuomo received outside revenue from a new book promoting his personal leadership, but that it was not discussed or approved by JCOPE commissioners, but only by JCOPE staff in general, “which, in my opinion, is illegal … It’s wrong and inappropriate that the JCOPE commissioners didn’t get that information. “
New York State Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt (R) sent a letter to JCOPE on March 26, calling Cuomo’s action a very clear violation of New York State law and a breach of ethics.
Governor Cuomo has repeatedly denied that he or the state government he leads has acted inappropriately.
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