An appeals court in New York ruled on Thursday that a state commission investigating ethical violations was created unconstitutionally.
This ruling comes from a lawsuit filed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo against the state’s Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government; the lawsuit concerned the watchdog agency’s attempt to force him to forfeit $5 million he earned from writing a book about his administration’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The watchdog agency asserts that Cuomo broke his promise not to use state resources on the book. Cuomo, who denies the allegations, said that the state constitution does not grant the commission authority to prosecute him.
In a unanimous ruling, the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling in favor of Cuomo. Judges wrote that the watchdog agency “though well intentioned in its actions,
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