NY Assembly probe will now look into questions over Andrew Cuomo's reported $4M book deal

ALBANY, N.Y. - Add questions about Gov. Andrew Cuomo's lucrative book deal to the growing list of issues that will be investigated in a sweeping probe by the Assembly Judiciary Committee into myriad allegations against the embattled governor.

Assemblyman Charles Lavine, the committee's chairman, said Wednesday night his panel would look into ongoing questions about the book Cuomo wrote and the $4 million The New York Times reported he may have received for it and use of government staff to help him prepare it.

"While the Assembly investigation will look into those allegations, the Judiciary Committee's primary focus remains investigation into issues related to sexual harassment, the nursing homes and bridge safety," Lavine, D-Nassau County, said in an email to the USA TODAY Network New York.

The committee's probe is looking into whether sexual harassment allegations against the governor, underreporting of COVID-19 nursing home deaths and questions about the safety of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge in the Hudson Valley rises to the level of an impeachment vote in the Assembly.

The troubles for Cuomo grew Wednesday, when the Times reported that his book deal might have paid him more than most expected for his detailed look at how New York responded to the pandemic, titled “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic."

The paper said not only were staff, including top aide Melissa DeRosa, closely involved in its preparation, which appears to have blended their public duties with Cuomo's private interests, the book also came at a time when DeRosa and others may have quashed releasing the number of COVID nursing home deaths.

More: Gov. Andrew Cuomo's COVID book hits shelves Tuesday amid growing virus cases. What he writes.

More: Gov. Cuomo refuses to reveal financial details of COVID book deal, vows contribution to charity

Cuomo's book deal draw more scrutiny

Keeping the number artificially low — which was confirmed in a January report by Attorney General Letitia James — would have boosted Cuomo's standing as a national leader in the COVID-19 fight, a popular view that landed him the book deal and even an Emmy award for his daily briefings during the first months of the virus' spread.

Cuomo senior adviser Rich Azzopardi said there was no correlation between the book and the release of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. A controversial July report by the state Department of Health didn't include the death count and was reportedly nixed from its inclusion by DeRosa and other top Cuomo aides.

“There is no connection between the report and this outside project — period — and any suggestion otherwise is just wrong," Azzopardi said in a statement.

He also added that, "As is permissible and consistent with ethical requirements, people who volunteered on this project did so on their own time.”

The Times, citing people with knowledge of the book’s bidding process, said the book deal ended with a high offer of more than $4 million.

Cuomo has declined to reveal how much he got paid for the book, saying it would be released on his financial disclosure forms later this year.

The book, which was released in October, has sold about 48,000 hardcover copies, the Times reported, which has previously said Crown Publishing Group no longer promotes the book because the state's handling of the nursing home deaths is under federal investigation.

In 2014, Cuomo published his memoir “All Things Possible,” but it was flop and sold around 3,000 hardcover copies. It was a nice haul for the governor, though: He made $783,000 on it, or about $245 a book, previous disclosure forms showed.

Criticism from lawmakers

Cuomo's critics have long ripped the book, alleging the governor is profiting off a pandemic in which more than 50,000 New Yorkers have died. Cuomo plans to donate a "significant' portion of the proceeds to charities, his office said.

The scrutiny over the book deal has drawn another round of calls for Cuomo to resign or be impeached. He is also under fire for COVID tests that were given by the state to family and friends early on in the pandemic when tests were scarce.

The Assembly investigation is expected to take months, while James is investigating the sexual harassment claims by current and former aides, as well as other women.

More: Assembly takes first step in Cuomo impeachment probe, but it could take months

More: Cuomo administration recrafted report on nursing homes to conceal death count: reports

Joseph Spector is the Government and Politics Editor for the USA TODAY Network's Atlantic Group, overseeing coverage in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. He can be reached at JSPECTOR@Gannett.com or followed on Twitter: @GannettAlbany

This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Andrew Cuomo's reported $4M book deal to be investigated by Assembly