ALBANY — Out of office doesn’t mean out of money.
Former governor Andrew Cuomo still has a hefty $16 million in his campaign coffers, financial disclosures filed with the state Board of Elections revealed on Tuesday evening.
Since resigning in disgrace following a bombshell report detailing a pattern of sexual harassment and bad behavior in August 2021, Cuomo has spent about $2 million on attorneys and a spokesman, the records show.
Despite his stepping down, donations have continued, albeit on a much smaller scale than the one-time prolific fundraiser is used to, with 482 contributions over the past six months.
In total, he’s brought in $224,270 since July, a bulk of which came before his resignation.
One of the 64-year-old’s biggest expenses since stepping down in August has been his legal costs.
According to the filings, Cuomo has paid Glavin PLLC about $899,000.
Attorney Rita Glavin has been representing the ex-governor in a number of matters related to the harassment allegations against him and has held near-weekly press conferences defending Cuomo and assailing the work of investigators who probed his behavior.
Cuomo’s campaign also paid $800,000 to Sullivan & Cromwell, a law firm that represented him in the state attorney general’s investigation into the harassment claims made by nearly a dozen women.
Earlier this month, the only criminal charge Cuomo faced over the sexual harassment allegations was dismissed. Technically, the former governor could seek reimbursement from the state to cover his legal fees since he was not convicted of a crime.
Cuomo also has a few former state employees on his payroll. Records show he’s paid about $42,000 to Bulldog Strategies, a communications firm run by one-time senior adviser Rich Azzopardi.
Former top aide Stephanie Benton, who served as director of the governor’s offices and featured prominently in Attorney General Letitia James’ report detailing the “toxic” work environment in the Cuomo administration was paid around $16,000 from the campaign account.
According to a filing from last summer, Cuomo had more than $18 million on hand before stepping down.
The biggest donations Cuomo received just weeks before he resigned came from the Wilpons, the owners of the Mets, who ponied up a combined $80,000 for the embattled ex-governor.
Cuomo had been beefing up his coffers for an anticipated run for a fourth term. It remains unclear if Cuomo, who has denied any wrongdoing, will attempt another run at public office.
Gov. Hochul took the reins from Cuomo in August and is now running for a full term in a bid to be the first woman elected governor of the Empire State.
Records show Hochul has pulled in $21 million since becoming governor.
Hochul raised a total of $21.9 million, including in-kind donations, and has $21.3 million remaining on hand.
