16 December 2021: Opinion - Cuomo Needs to Give Pandemic "Leadership" Book Money to NY Taxpayers

Churchill: Andrew Cuomo should give us our money

Albany Times-Union columnist Chris Churchill makes a solid argument in favor of forcing Andrew M. Cuomo to compensate New York's state government for the use of its employees and resources to produce his pandemic "leadership" book, from which he personally profited to the tune of at least $5.1 million (and up to $5.2 million according to the New York Assembly's impeachment probe report).

On Tuesday, JCOPE ordered Cuomo to repay the $5.1 million he received for his self-aggrandizing memoir about the pandemic. Woof!

There are problems with the move, to be sure, but let's first acknowledge a glaring truth: Cuomo should certainly repay the money received for the book, "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic." It was an act of staggering hubris that he pocketed the massive paycheck in the first place.

After all, the book was significantly written, edited and promoted by state employees working on taxpayer time. (So says a recent report from the Assembly Judiciary Committee.) We paid for much of the work, and Cuomo reaped the profit. Sweet deal, no?

He also makes a good argument for why Andrew M. Cuomo, if he were smarter, should choose to voluntarily give up his ill-gotten proceeds, though Churchill doesn't think that's likely:

Of course, if Cuomo learned anything from his long and humiliating downfall, he will hand the millions over, no lawyers necessary.

As he filled out the check, he could say he's a new man who has realized the error of his ways and embraced humility. He could say it was outrageous to have state workers toiling on a megalomaniacal book while a pandemic raged. He could admit he has no right to the money.

Oh, and he could say he's sorry.

I know, I know. I'm dreaming. If Cuomo did any of those things, we'd think he had a concussion.

Or much more to hide, since it would mean he could avoid discovery during legal proceedings....