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ALBANY – Gov. Kathy Hochul will propose a ban on statewide elected officials being able to earn outside income in the wake of her own predecessor, disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, pocketing $5.1 million on his ‘American Crisis’ book deal.
The so-called Cuomo rule would require an amendment to New York’s constitution — as would another new Hochul proposal that would set limits of two consecutive terms for statewide elected officials, her office said Monday.
That means officials serving as governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general and state comptroller would be limited to a maximum of eight years in office, much like elected posts in New York City.
Hochul’s outside income ban would apply to the governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general and state comptroller.
“On day one as Governor, I pledged to restore trust in government and I have taken steps every day to deliver the open, ethical governing New Yorkers deserve,” Hochul said in a statement.
“I want people to believe in their government again. With these bold reforms, we will ensure New Yorkers know their leaders work for them and are focused on serving the people of this state.”
The rule would include an exception for lawmakers serving in academic positions who get prior approval from the state ethics board.
But the topic has drawn intense scrutiny after Cuomo quietly got approval to write “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic” from the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, the state’s watchdog agency, during the summer of 2020.
JCOPE voted in early December on a resolution ordering Cuomo to return his $5.1 million profit to the state or his publisher, arguing he violated the public officers law by claiming he would not use state resources or government staffers to help write and prepare the book.
The measure is in limbo howefver, as Attorney General Letitia James has said her office cannot enforce the resolution because JCOPE did not conduct their own investigation into Cuomo’s dealings first.
Separately, an investigative report released by the Democrat-majority state Assembly Judiciary Committee on Nov. 22 concluded Cuomo “utilized state resources and property, including work by Executive Chamber staff, to write, publish and promote his book.”
The probe concluded Cuomo used “senior state officials” to help the ex-pol during the “regular course of work” – instead of on their own time, as Cuomo and his allies have claimed.
Hochul’s office said she’ll announce the complete plan for both moves during her 2022 State of the State address scheduled for this coming Wednesday in the state Assembly chamber located in Albany’s State Capitol Building.
Both pieces of legislation would require passage by the state legislature during two separate sessions and then would have to be approved by voters in a public referendum before becoming law.
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