ALBANY, NY – New York editor Andrew Cuomo is said to be paying him more than $ 5 million for the book he wrote last year about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to newly released tax returns and ethics documents.
The documents released Monday ended a month-long mystery of the size of Cuomo’s book deal with The Crown Publishing Group, which published Cuomo’s bestseller “American Crisis” in October as the state stared at a second wave of coronavirus infections.
Cuomo had been repeating for nine months refused to divulge the details of his book storenoting that this would be recorded on his taxes at a later date. That was Monday when both his government-required disclosure form and taxes were due and cleared.
The form indicated that Cuomo’s book deal will gross him more than $ 5.1 million in total. Cuomo’s tax return showed that Crown paid him $ 3.12 million in 2020. He is due an additional $ 2.05 to $ 2.15 million according to a separate financial disclosure form that his office says will be paid out over the next two years.
Cuomo’s net book income after taxes and expenses was approximately $ 1.5 million last year after taxes, administrative expenses, and professional expenses are factored in. The governor donated $ 500,000 to the United Way and invested the remaining $ 1 million in a trust for his daughters, according to his office records.
The bookstore has been referred to the Attorney General’s office to investigate whether Cuomo has improperly used state funds on the project.
The Assembly’s Judiciary Committee is also investigating this as part of a full investigation into the various Cuomo scandals, including sexual harassment allegations and underrepresentation of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.
Cuomo’s spokesman Rich Azzopardi said the money for his three daughters will be shared equally because they “worked with the governor during this pandemic and done what he calls” tireless and effective work for all New Yorkers. ” , and gave him “the strength and love to deserve” it through the crisis every day. ‘”
Cuomo’s book is a source of controversy
“American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From The COVID-19 Pandemic” was released in October at a time when Cuomo’s national profile had grown to a new high, in large part due to the well-received daily press conferences in the early days of the coronavirus crisis was due.
The book has since been at the center of controversy because members of Cuomo’s government staff contributed to the project despite the governor insisting that they volunteered for the project.
The USA TODAY Network reported that Cuomo and at least six of his top aides and advisers Last summer he huddled in the Executive Mansion in Albany for two weekends to review and review his manuscript. He once worked with agents from Crown.
Another junior level employee was asked to print out an early draft of Cuomo’s manuscript and, according to email records, deliver it to the villa earlier this year. Cuomo’s office has described the work of the offspring as “casual”.
In April, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli referred the book thing to Attorney General Letitia James asking her to investigate whether government funds were being used for personal purposes.
More:Cuomo’s COVID book deal is under investigation for use of government funds
Cuomo’s book sold 48,000 copies
“American Crisis” was the second book Cuomo has written and published since taking office in 2011.
His first attempt, a 2014 paper titled “All Possible Things: Setbacks and Successes in Politics and Life,” earned the governor $ 783,000 from his former publisher HarperCollins, according to his previous tax return.
The memoirs didn’t sell well. According to NPD BookScan, which tracks print sales in the US, only 3,800 copies were sold last October
Cuomo’s COVID-19 book fared much better: about 48,000 copies have been sold since its publication in October, according to the NPD.
Early sales were enough land the book on the New York Times bestseller list for two non-consecutive weeks.
However, things have declined significantly since then: around 2,000 copies have been sold this year, with weekly sales dropping below 25 copies since March 14, figures from the NPD show.
Republicans ripped open the bookstore, finding that Cuomo had written the manuscript amid a pandemic that killed at least 40,000 New Yorkers.
“The fact that Governor Cuomo filled his own pockets with more than $ 5 million while thousands of New Yorkers died horrific deaths is a national shame,” said Republican Senate Chairman Robert Ortt.
Cuomo’s book income was above his government salary, which made him $ 225,000 last year. His salary rose to $ 250,000 that year.
Jon Campbell is the editor of the New York State Team for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN.
