NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s attorney has asked the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) to preserve evidence ahead of possible “court action.”
Jim McGuire, Cuomo’s attorney, served the notice to JCOPE Wednesday to “preserve all evidence and documentation concerning its unconstitutional actions” concerning the former governor’s book “American Crisis.”
Last month, JCOPE ruled that Cuomo must repay the more than $5 million he made from his memoir about the COVID-19 pandemic, to which Cuomo’s team fired back, calling it “political hypocrisy at its worst.”
That December panel vote came a month after it revoked its prior approval of the book deal.
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“The former action – passing on the third attempt after two failed votes – reverses permission granted more than a year ago, placing into doubt the validity and stability of any past and future guidance issued by this state agency,” said McGuire.
“In the last several weeks, JCOPE’s order regarding proceeds from the project was rejected by the Department of Law’s Civil Recovery Bureau which contending the action wasn’t valid and – as required under the rule – lacked due process,” McGuire continued.
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McGuire also claimed that JCOPE’s executive director objected to sending a response to the attorney general because the panel’s actions “were not proper.”
The statement said, "The governor will seek the intercession of the courts to protect his rights and prevent further abuses by JCOPE of its authority."
WINS reached out to JCOPE for comment.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said during her State of the State address last week that she is planning to replace JCOPE with a new “truly independent” ethics agency.
“This new ethics agency will prioritize transparency and integrity, crack down on any wrongdoing, and ensure compliance and ethical governing throughout State government,” said Hochul.