New York taxpayers on the hook for Andrew Cuomo’s legal fees after state failed to obtain convictions

New York is using taxpayer funds to reimburse former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s legal fees after he was accused of multiple crimes, but was never convicted, Politico reported on Tuesday.

Cuomo resigned in disgrace in 2021 after Democratic Attorney General Letitia James released a report corroborating multiple allegations of sexual harassment levied against him, prompting the Democratic-led New York State Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings. The reimbursements are required under state law when prosecutions against an elected official fail, Politico reported.

The New York State Comptroller’s office has already paid out $565,000 to Cuomo’s campaign, Politico reported. He is set to receive several million dollars from the state to cover some of the $6.9 million he spent on legal fees amid criminal proceedings and public investigations since 2021.

Anyone who says we don’t have an anti-semitism problem is not living in the real world

Job 1 of government is public safety. We must do more.

I discussed this, the migrant cris & more with @rosannascotto on @fox5ny

Our full conversation here:https://t.co/Q0UeCPXrcY pic.twitter.com/Hm3Efofwhg

— Andrew Cuomo (@andrewcuomo) November 14, 2023

“Remember it was Tish James and her zeal to strike the ‘a’ from her ‘Aspiring Governor’ title that ended up costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars at the end of the day,” said Rich Azzopardi, a longtime spokesperson for Cuomo, to Politico. “She produced a sham political report and a failed campaign for governor, and it’s unfortunate that taxpayers are flipping the bill for her abuse of power.”

Cuomo receiving taxpayer funds as reimbursements has prompted an outcry from state representatives, who have sought to repeal the law. Two repeal bills were introduced in the New York State Assembly and Senate in 2023, though they have not passed the state legislature.

“[I]t’s wrong for taxpayers to reimburse political committees for personal legal defense,” said Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris, a Democrat, who co-sponsored the state Senate repeal bill. “The law needs to change to prohibit that.”

The only criminal complaint filed against Cuomo — a misdemeanor charge for forcible touching — was dismissed by a judge in January of 2023 for factual defects. In other jurisdictions where he was alleged to have committed crimes, Cuomo was not indicted, though several state prosecutors criticized New York law for its high burdens to bring sexual harassment charges while indicating that they wanted to do so.

Cuomo has reportedly indicated that he would like to return to politics by running for the mayoralty of New York City. His political organization currently has $7.8 million available, according to Politico.

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