New York appeals court hears arguments over the fate of the state’s ethics panel

By MICHAEL HILL
Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A New York appeals court in Albany has heard arguments over the fate of the state Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. The arguments Friday stem from a lawsuit filed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who claims the commission lacked the constitutional authority to prosecute him. Cuomo is fighting an attempt by the commission to force him to forfeit $5 million he got for writing a book about his administration’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. A lower court judge ruled in September that the commission’s independence makes it a problem under the state constitution, since enforcement of ethics laws is a power that belongs to the executive branch.