New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vastly increased his net worth during what will be his final year in office — and generated some significant controversy while doing it.
The disgraced governor announced this week that he plans to step down in two weeks. This came after the state’s attorney general released a damaging report accusing him of sexually harassing women and creating a toxic work environment. But the report did not touch on another major controversy for the governor, the allegations that he improperly used state resources to help with a major book deal.
Cuomo’s Net Worth
As Yahoo Finance reported, Cuomo has been able to amass a significant net worth during his ten years in office. He collected an annual salary of $ 225,000 as the governor of New York, the culmination of a rising political career that included a cabinet position in the Clinton administration. Cuomo had been floated as a potential candidate for president last year, but he ultimately remained on the sidelines.In addition to the money from his political career, Cuomo recently added to his net worth with a reported $ 5 million deal for his memoir.
Book Highlighted Rise To Fame
As Yahoo Finance reported, the 2020 book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” was published by Crown Publishing Group. It chronicled Cuomo’s actions in leading the state of New York through the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when New York City became the epicenter for the virus. Cuomo was heralded for his strong leadership actions, which included one of the earliest mask mandates. His daily briefings in which he gave New Yorkers updates on the fight against the virus became popular across the country, even earning Cuomo an Emmy.
Book Stirs Controversy
But the book came with plenty of controversies. As CBS News reported, state legislators were looking into allegations that Cuomo improperly used state resources to help write the book. The investigation was to be part of an impeachment hearing that could have seen Cuomo removed from office, but he announced his resignation before the proceedings could begin.
Though it appears that the impeachment process will not move forward, Cuomo could still face consequences if the investigation finds that he broke any laws while writing the book.
Lawmakers Could Still Investigate $ 5 Million Book Deal
The issue may not be fully in the past for Cuomo. Though he will be leaving office before the end of August, state legislator Thomas Abinanti said the Assembly’s judiciary committee could still be reporting on their findings regarding the allegations against the soon-to-be-former governor.
"We’re going to meet on Monday to have a conversation among ourselves and with our lawyers to determine whether we have the legal authority to continue with an impeachment inquiry and whether we should move forward," Abinanti said, via CBS News.
