50G pension puts Cuo on sleazy street

First, New York taxpayers unwittingly paid to help him write his $5.1 million pandemic memoir — now they are paying for his luxe retirement.

Disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo began collecting a lifetime $50,000 annual state pension — a week after a state Assembly panel found he used government resources to write the book that made him millions.

The exiled three-term governor — who resigned in August as he faced impeachment amid a sexual harassment scandal and probes into his handling of COVID nursing home deaths and the use of government resources to write his book — started collecting his gross monthly $4,219.11 pension last month with the New York State and Local Retirement System, a spokesman with state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office confirmed.

It adds up to an extra $50,629 a year in the millionaire Cuomo’s pockets.

An Assembly investigative report made public last week found Cuomo “utilized state resources and property, including work by Executive Chamber staff, to write, publish and promote his book” — a project for which he was guaranteed at least $5.1 million in personal profit.

Cuomo, who earned $225,000 annually as governor, turns 64 on Dec. 6. He can cumulatively receive more than $1 million in pension benefits if he lives another 20 years.

But critics say Cuomo shouldn’t get a pension because he hasn’t been held fully accountable for the deaths of nursing home residents during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Only in New York could you kill thousands of seniors, cover it up and get paid handsomely to do it,” said Tracey Alvino, whose dad, Daniel, was infected with COVID-19 in a Long Island nursing home and later died.

“Cuomo absolutely should not get a pension,” added Alvino, who previously called Cuomo’s controversial COVID book deal “blood money. ”