New York Post

Your Ad for the Gov

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No tactic is too low for Gov. Cuomo as he seeks re-election. The latest: His minions stuck a plug for him into state-issued voter-registrati­on notices.

It’s no high crime, but it sure is sleazy — and possibly illegal.

“Register to vote. It’s easier than ever,” the notices say, adding: “Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is expanding access and opportunit­y to New Yorkers to register to vote.”

It was blatantly promotiona­l, and with an election nearing. Really, the notices were little more than campaign ads. That’d be fine if they’d come from Cuomo’s campaign. But the state sent them out, at taxpayer expense.

After The Post disclosed the notices this week, GOP gubernator­ial hopeful Marc Molinaro fired off letters to the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics, Board of Elections and Department of Motor Vehicles demanding a probe.

“With less than 100 days until the primary election this may be a clear violation and, at least, is an abuse of taxpayer resources for campaign political purposes,” Molinaro wrote. Common Cause’s Susan Lerner called the mailer “a questionab­le use of tax dollars to promote the Governor’s re-election.”

This isn’t the first time Cuomo has resorted to such push-the-envelope sleaze. In January, the MTA — which he controls — allowed ads on subways that ostensibly urged organ donations but featured a big smiling picture of Cuomo with a young heart-transplant kid. Health-care union Local 1199SEUI, which backs the governor, paid for the ad. But the MTA has a policy of no political ads. Except, it seems, if they promote the gov.

Then, as now, Cuomo’s office claimed everything was legal. And with his power over every agency that might launch a probe, don’t expect any of them to say otherwise.

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