ALBANY (AP) – Some of the praise that local officials, including State Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane, have heaped on Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in speeches this year was written by Cuomo staffers, according to a published report Thursday.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the 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.
“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,” he said.
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.”
Besides Maziarz, other officials who repeated the script almost verbatim were Plattsburgh State College President John Etting and Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. They said they wouldn’t have made the comments if they didn’t agree with them.