Ethics groups want investigation of free help Cuomo received

Ethics groups want investigation of free help Cuomo received

FILE - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at New York's Yankee Stadium, Monday, July 26, 2021. New York's ethics commission has more work to do if it wants to seize the millions of dollars former Gov. Cuomo earned writing a book about the COVID-19 pandemic, the state attorney general's office said in a letter Thursday, Dec. 16. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Good government groups say New York’s ethics commission should investigate whether former Gov. Andrew Cuomo broke the law by accepting free help from former aides who worked to defend him against sexual harassment allegations. New York ethics law bans public officials from accepting gifts worth more than $15 from lobbyists and companies that do business with the state. Several former Cuomo aides who worked for such companies provided the Democrat with strategic advice and public relations help after multiple women accused him of misconduct. New York’s gift ban doesn’t apply to family members or friends, and Cuomo’s attorney said no one broke the law by helping the governor.

Photo: FILE – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at New York’s Yankee Stadium, Monday, July 26, 2021. AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)