2 June 2021: Cuomo Using Probes to Avoid Disclosing Pandemic Book Deal Documents

Cuomo refuses to release records related to his 'American Crisis' book

This report describes the response Albany Times-Union received from Governor Cuomo's office when they sought public records related to Andrew Cuomo's pandemic "leadership" book deal on Friday, 28 May 2021.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office is refusing to release a multitude of public records related to his $5.1 million book deal, with his attorneys invoking one law that keeps records of the state's ethics panel secret and another designed to keep law enforcement records hidden if releasing them could interfere with an investigation.

The first explanation is notable because Cuomo's office recently released the very type of records it's now asserting must be suppressed.

The latter reason is striking because the Executive Chamber is not a law enforcement agency and the records being sought, including time and attendance records of his top aides, were not compiled "for law enforcement purposes" as the statute is written.

Last Friday evening, ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, Cuomo’s office denied three Freedom of Information Law requests submitted by the Times Union. There is nothing in state law that prevents Cuomo's office from releasing the records, and a state ethics commissioner on Monday called Cuomo’s legal argument for suppressing one type of records “absurd.”

The newspaper's requests sought the timesheets showing the governmental work hours for Cuomo aides who did extensive work on his book; records Cuomo’s office had provided to state ethics officials seeking approval to publish "American Crisis;" and copies of any investigative letters that ethics regulators may have sent to Cuomo’s office in recent weeks.

In his pandemic "leadership" book, Cuomo proclaimed the importance of transparency. His administration's inconsistent actions now to avoid disclosing public records to related to the book's production using "absurd" pretenses confirm Andrew Cuomo's hypocrisy.