New York ethics board revokes approval of Cuomo book deal

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo may lose his $5.1 million book deal after a state ethics board on Tuesday revoked approval for him to publish the work. 

In a 12-1 vote, the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics revoked its previous approval of Cuomo's book, claiming that state government staffers and resources were improperly used in preparing it. Cuomo must now reapply for the board's approval. 

According to The Hill, Cuomo published his book "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic," prior to his resignation amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Cuomo's spokesperson Rich Azzopardi responded to JCOPE's decision to rescind its approval in a statement to local news station WABC, saying the board doesn't have that kind of authority.

"These JCOPE members are acting outside the scope of their authority and are carrying the water of the politicians who appointed them," Azzopardi said after the vote. "It is the height of hypocrisy for [Gov. Kathy] 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."