22 July 2022: NY Attorney General's Probe of Cuomo Pandemic Book Deal Stalled

Critics blast AG Letitia James for not releasing findings in probe on Cuomo’s COVID book

On 9 July 2022, the timeline noted that there was little sign of progress in New York State Attorney General Letitia James' criminal probe of Andrew M. Cuomo's pandemic "leadership" book deal. This new report indicates public ethics advocates and others are now asking why has the probe stalled:

State Attorney General Letitia James opened a criminal probe 15 months ago into whether ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo illegally used state employees and other taxpayer resources to work on his controversial profit-making $5 million pandemic memoir.

Now ethics watchdogs and families of COVID-19 nursing home victims are asking, ‘Where’s the beef?’

“There is no evidence of an active investigation that I’m aware of. So far as I can ascertain there is no action by the attorney general,” said Gary Lavine, a Senate Republican appointee to the new state commission on Ethics in Lobbying and Government, who previously served on the Joint Commission on Public Ethics....

James’ office said the Cuomo book probe is “ongoing” but declined further comment....

James received a referral from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli in April of 2021 to “investigate the alleged commission of any indictable offense or offenses” related to the Cuomo book. The comptroller releases funds for the state payroll.

The report states it took the state attorney general's office just five months to complete its probe of allegations of Andrew M. Cuomo's sexual harassment of multiple women.

The lack of progress in the AG's investigation of the Cuomo pandemic book deal suggests James isn't taking it as seriously.