New York Governor Sought Book Deal As Aides Hid COVID Deaths

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reportedly sought a $4 million book deal on his “hero” image during the coronavirus pandemic while aides hid a damaging death toll in nursing homes.

The New York Times (NYT) newspaper said emails and an early draft of Cuomo’s book it obtained indicate that the governor was writing it as early as mid-June.

He relied on trusted aides and junior staffers for everything from full-scale edits to minor clerical work, potentially violating state laws prohibiting the use of public resources for personal gain, The NYT reported.

The book “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic” detailed the battle against the virus in a U.S. state where authorities claimed nearly 50,000 people died. It would garner Cuomo a fleeting spot on the New York Times best-seller list.

“I am not a superhero,” he said in early versions of his book. But there was a problem. It was drafted as his aides scrubbed a politically damaging Health Department report that threatened to derail the profitable deal.

The Health Department was to disclose a far higher number of nursing home deaths related to the coronavirus than the Cuomo administration had previously made public.

Cuomo leaned on his top aide, Melissa DeRosa, for assistance. She attended video meetings with publishers and helped him edit early drafts of the book, The NYT said.

DeRosa and other top aides saw the need for another more pressing edit. They expressed concern about the higher death toll in the second sentence of the Health Department report.

After their intervention, the number was removed from the final version. At stake was not just the governor’s reputation, but also, potentially, a huge payoff: His book deal with a high offer of more than $4 million was threatened by the revelations, according to knowledgeable sources cited by The NYT.

News about possible wrongdoing also came while the governor faces allegations of sexual misconduct, charges he vehemently denies. Several legislators, including from his Democratic Party have called for his resignation. So far, Governor Cuomo has refused to step down.

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