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Topline
The publisher of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recently-published Covid-19 memoir has stopped promoting the book amid the growing scandal over his administration’s handling of nursing home deaths.
Cuomo has been called to resign from his position after allegations of sexual misconduct were … [+]
Key Facts
Cuomo is facing intense scrutiny and a federal investigation over allegations his administration intentionally concealed the number of nursing home deaths by excluding residents who were transferred to hospitals.
According to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, Cuomo’s aides began obscuring the real data in a July report, which paved the way for the governor to position himself as a national leader combatting the pandemic in his book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic.”
Citing the investigation, Crown Publishing Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House, told the New York Times it has “paused active support” for the book and will not reprint or reissue it in paperback.
Sales of the book have already been declining after it landed on the bestseller’s list after it was published in October, and only 300 copies were sold in February, market researcher NPD Group told Bloomberg.
Neither Crown Publishing Group nor Cuomo’s office immediately responded to a request for comment from Forbes.
Key Background
Cuomo has continued to deny any wrongdoing, though an aide privately admitted to state lawmakers the Cuomo administration withheld some data out of fear the Trump administration would use it against them. In a statement responding to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal reports this week, a special counsel to Cuomo said “out-of-facility data was omitted” after the department of health “could not confirm it had been adequately verified.”
Tangent
How the Cuomo administration handled nursing home data is just one scandal prompting calls from his own party to resign. Five women have come forward in recent weeks describing a pattern of inappropriate workplace conduct, which Cuomo has denied. The governor has brushed off calls to resign as New York Attorney General Lettita James leads a probe into the sexual harassment allegations against him.
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