A report released by the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics says the commission was strong-armed by former Governor Cuomo's office to greenlight Cuomo's $5 million book deal in 2020.
According to the report, the commission -- known as JCOPE -- didn't direct the review. Instead, the governor's office told the commission what information Cuomo would provide -- which wasn't much.
JCOPE has since tried to reverse its approval and claim the $5 million, but Cuomo is fighting the move in court.
The report was written by an outside law firm.
The report also includes recommendations for the new ethics panel that will replacing JCOPE.