Apparently outraged by Gov. Andrew Cuomo getting paid $5.1 million to publish his coronavirus memoir amid the pandemic, a robust New York elected official has launched a measure that might restrict the surface revenue of state elected officers.
The proposed regulation, drafted by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan), would restrict exterior revenue earned by statewide workplace holders and legislators to fifteen % of their public wage.
Cuomo’s e-book contract is the topic of a number of investigations over claims he used authorities sources to assist publish it and that he undercounted coronavirus nursing house deaths to assist promote it. Nursing house advocates have known as the $5 million advance “blood cash” made off the backs of family members who died from COVID.
And Krueger cited the Cuomo e-book scandal, in addition to pay-to-play corruption involving different legislators, to impose a restrict on exterior revenue.
“Over the previous a number of many years, the general public’s belief of their elected officers has steadily eroded as scandal after scandal has rocked Albany. There have been a number of prison investigations associated to legislative leaders utilizing their title as legislative chief, and associate at a regulation agency to earn extra exterior revenue,” Kreuger mentioned.
Krueger was possible referring to disgraced former Meeting Speaker Sheldon Silver and ex-Senate Majority Chief Dean Skelos, who each had been employed by regulation corporations earlier than convicted and sentenced in separate pay-to-play corruption scams.
Kruger added, “Just lately, a statewide elected officer obtained greater than $4 million upfront funds from a publishing firm for writing a e-book concerning the Coronavirus pandemic in New York. Whereas there are ongoing investigations into this and several other different issues, this invoice would deal with each above situations by eradicating the looks of public corruption in state authorities by proscribing the surface revenue of state legislators and statewide elected officers.”
Cuomo is paid $225,000, the best wage of any governor within the nation.
Legislators within the Senate and Meeting presently make $110,000.
Lawyer Basic Letitia James and the state Meeting Judiciary Committee are investigating allegations that Cuomo used state staff to assist put together and promote his memoir, “American Disaster: Management Classes from the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
In the meantime, a federal probe into Cuomo’s dealing with of nursing houses amid the pandemic has apparently expanded to incorporate his e-book deal, based mostly on questions that state Senate Well being Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) advised The Publish he was requested by investigators in Could.
The Krueger invoice is modeled after the federal regulation limiting exterior revenue that may be earned by members of Congress.
The measure would exempt sure revenue from the 15 % cap — together with pensions and advantages earned from prior employment, army or Nationwide Guard service, or passive revenue from sure funding actions or family-owned companies.
Krueger, who lately launched the invoice, will search for a member of the Meeting to hold it within the lower-house.
The Legislature adjourned for the summer time, so the laws possible gained’t be thought of till subsequent yr — when all statewide officers and legislators are up for re-election.
Cuomo’s workplace had no fast remark. He has denied any wrongdoing over his dealing with of the pandemic.
Earlier than the pandemic hit and the publishing of his COVID “management” memoir “American Disaster: Management Classes from the COVID Pandemic,” Cuomo advocated for limits on exterior revenue to keep away from conflicts of curiosity, as a situation for legislators getting a pay hike. However the courts blocked limits on exterior revenue beneficial by a state pay fee.
“You need to pay them a wage that enables them to dwell and never be a martyr. I additionally agree that there needs to be a ban on exterior revenue; I’ve mentioned that for a lot of, a few years. And the fee discovered their technique to that, so I believe that’s excellent news,” Cuomo mentioned in 2018.
A yr later, he mentioned, “Worst-case state of affairs, the legislature might move the invoice saying we’ll ban exterior revenue ourselves. They may say we’ll ban exterior revenue if the fee holdings are upheld. In order that’s all it comes all the way down to is the surface ban, which the legislature has already agreed to the surface ban as a result of they took the increase, proper?”
Republican lawmakers beforehand proposed laws to ban elected officers from profiting off books they publish following outrage over Cuomo’s e-book contract, although the invoice didn’t deal with general limits on exterior revenue.
The Democrats management each homes of the legislature, so help from Krueger’s Democratic colleagues is required move any invoice to curb limits on exterior revenue.
