Assemblyman John Lemondes (R,C,I-Lafayette), in partnership with Assembly andSenate Minority, is introducing legislation to prevent public officials from collecting profits on published works while they serve in office. A man of public service throughout his life, Lemondes is appalled that Gov. Cuomo is not only holding onto the $5 million in profits from his COVID-19 memoir, but that he does so in the face of public knowledge that his leadership led to innumerous deaths due to placing COVID-positive patients in nursing homes and attempted to cover up actual death counts to avoid any public or federal scrutiny. Lemondes calls this legislation ‘an absolute necessity.’

“Gov. Cuomo and I must come from different planets, it’s the only way I can explain how he lacks the self-awareness to understand why this is wrong, while at the same time having the depravity to dismiss any legitimate criticisms as ‘craven politics,’ as his PR manager has said in the past,” Lemondes said. “The bill we are introducing today is just one of the ways the Assembly and Senate Minorities are working to curtail corruption in Albany. No public official at any level should be pocketing $5 million while thousands across the state struggle to stay afloat.”

In addition to the introduction of this bill, Lemondes plans to keep pressure on the governor by introducing further legislation to allow more transparency from the executive office. “Our leadership being available, approachable and reachable is what makes us American. For Gov. Cuomo to be exempt from that does not sit right with me,” Lemondes concluded.