MAY 18 — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s contract with publishers for his book about dealing with the coronavirus pandemic was worth US$5 million, according to tax documents released by his office to the media on Monday.

Cuomo was initially lauded for his handling of a crippling coronavirus outbreak in New York, but praise turned to blame when media reported allegations of misconduct, including the under-reporting of nursing home deaths.

He is also being investigated for alleged sexual harassment. The governor has denied any wrongdoing and said he was sorry if his behaviour had made "people feel uncomfortable.”

Cuomo’s book, "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic”, was published in October 2020 by The Crown Publishing Group, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House.

According to the documents, the group paid him US$3.12 last year, and will pay him the remainder in two instalments worth around US$2 million each in 2021 and 2022.

The Wall Street Journal reported late in March that the New York state attorney general’s office had subpoenaed dozens of officials in Cuomo’s administration as part of the probe into sexual harassment accusations. — Reuters