New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y., on Monday, June 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Tim Roske)
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Some of the praise local officials heaped on Gov. Andrew Cuomo in speeches this year was written by Cuomo staffers, according to a published report Thursday.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the unusual effort to control the governor’s message and image sometimes resulted in identical comments praising Cuomo.
Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto told the newspaper that what he called suggested talking point notes are standard in government and politics.
Government officials, however, told the newspaper the effort was unusual.
Some identical comments from local officials at different events promoting the governor’s budget plan said Cuomo “restored a sense of pride and credibility in New York state government.”
Officials who repeated the script almost verbatim included State University of New York at Plattsburgh’s president, John Etting; Republican Sen. George Maziarz of Niagara County, and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. They said they wouldn’t have made the comments if they didn’t agree with them.
Vlasto didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
“This is standard operating practice for any governmental or political office at any level of government, and anyone who has worked in one knows that,” Vlasto told the newspaper.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
