Marina Villeneuve, AP; NY ethics commission rescinds approval for Cuomo book deal
"Republican Commissioner David McNamara said state property, resources and personnel were used to prepare, write, edit and publish the book “contrary to the representations” made on Cuomo’s behalf.
Cuomo has acknowledged that state employees helped with tasks including editing the manuscript.
But he’s claimed that those employees were “volunteering.”"
"Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Wednesday a set of ethics reforms that would affect the State Legislature, the State University of New York, the City University of New York and his own office — all of which have been soiled within the last year by corruption scandals and allegations of slipshod management. Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, announced that he would appoint a procurement officer to review all contracts and agreements involving state funds “with an eye towards eliminating any wrongdoing, conflicts of interest or collusion,” a clear nod to the revelation this fall that three of his former aides and advisers had orchestrated a yearslong bribery and bid-rigging scheme in which lucrative state economic development contracts were steered to a few favored developers. All three, along with several development executives, have pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges."
