Assemblyman Brian Manktelow (R,C,I-Lyons) joined his Assembly and Senate colleagues on Wednesday, May 19 for a press conference regarding a bill he co-sponsored (A.7107) which would prohibit elected officers and certain appointed officers in New York from writing and selling a book during their term in office. The proposal comes after concerns about Gov. Cuomo profiting off of his book, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Earlier this week, the governor’s tax returns were released to the public, revealing that he received more than $5 million from the sale of the book. It hit shelves in October 2020 but production was halted in March 2021.

“It is downright shameful that our governor has raked in more than $5 million off of the pain and suffering of people during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Manktelow. “The fact that this book was released well before the end of the pandemic, which is still not over, is outrageous. Additionally, Gov. Cuomo was a huge supporter of preventing elected officials from having outside income a few years ago, yet here he is, making more than $5 million off of how well he supposedly handled the pandemic. Instead of profiting from his own mismanagement skills, he should be focused on how he can help revitalize the economy and help those who are struggling while keeping the vulnerable safe.”