For Immediate Release June 2, 2021 Contact: Shaun Marie 518-356-7882 www.cpnys.org @cpnys
Statement from New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar on Gov. Cuomo’s Stonewalling of the Media on $5.1 Million Book Deal
Brooklyn, NY – “Legislative leaders in Albany can’t allow Gov. Andrew Cuomo to get away with stonewalling the news media in its legal attempts to obtain documents related to Mr. Cuomo’s controversial $5.1 million book contract with Crown Publishing.
“Mr. Cuomo’s book deal stinks to high heaven, and everybody knows it. Let’s count the ways:
- “The book contract was negotiated at the same time Mr. Cuomo was hiding data on the number of nursing home deaths in New York, a clear possible motive for his malfeasance;
- “Taxpayer-paid state workers were used to help Mr. Cuomo write the book, at a minimum an ethics violation, and
- “The hefty advance on Mr. Cuomo’s book, ‘American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,’ was way out of proportion with industry norms.
“Now, Mr. Cuomo is refusing to release documents about the book deal with the ridiculous argument that relinquishing the information could interfere with other inquiries into the deal. He further suggests that his own, handpicked ethics commission — which authorized the sale of the book — has the right to keep its deliberations secret.
“At least 120 Democrat state legislators did the right thing in calling on Gov. Cuomo to resign following multiple sexual harassment allegations levied against him. Those same legislators cannot remain silent over Mr. Cuomo’s latest abuse of power. The public has a right to know what went on with the Cuomo book deal. He is our employee, and his shenanigans must be called out forcefully.”
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