ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s prime aide, Melissa DeRosa, stated late Sunday that she had resigned, lower than every week after the New York State legal professional common launched a report concluding Mr. Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 girls.
The report discovered that Ms. DeRosa, one in all Mr. Cuomo’s most trusted confidantes and strategists, had spearheaded efforts to retaliate in opposition to one of many girls who had spoken out publicly about her allegation in December.
Her resignation got here simply as Mr. Cuomo, a third-term Democrat, faces impeachment and requires him to step down within the wake of the report.
Ms. DeRosa was a fixture in Mr. Cuomo’s coronavirus briefings through the pandemic, however had come beneath hearth earlier this yr for her involvement within the administration’s efforts to obscure the complete extent of nursing residence deaths, a matter that’s beneath investigation by federal authorities and the State Meeting.
Ms. DeRosa, who’s 38, stated in a press release on Sunday that “the previous two years have been emotionally and mentally making an attempt.”
“It has been the best honor of my life to serve the individuals of New York for the previous 10 years. New Yorkers’ resilience, energy, and optimism via probably the most tough occasions has impressed me every single day,” she stated. “I’m eternally grateful for the chance to have labored with such gifted and dedicated colleagues on behalf of our state.”
As secretary to the governor, Ms. DeRosa was probably the most highly effective appointed official within the state. When Mr. Cuomo appointed her to the put up in 2017, she grew to become one of many youngest individuals to carry that place, and the primary girl within the function. She joined the Cuomo administration in 2013 as communications director and was promoted two years later to chief of workers.
The legal professional common’s report painted an unflattering image of Ms. DeRosa and her function in fostering a poisonous office and attacking the credibility of Lindsey Boylan, a former financial growth official who had accused Mr. Cuomo of sexual harassment in December.
After Ms. Boylan posted her allegation on Twitter, Ms. DeRosa orchestrated an effort amongst state officers and outdoors allies to leak Ms. Boylan’s personnel data, which contained delicate data, to undermine her credibility. She additionally helped draft, evaluation and flow into a disparaging letter which was by no means revealed, however nonetheless assailed Ms. Boylan’s character.
As a part of these efforts, Ms. DeRosa additionally instructed a former staffer to name a feminine Cuomo workers member who had voiced assist for Ms. Boylan on Twitter, mine her for data and document the cellphone dialog, the report stated.
Perceive the Scandals Difficult Gov. Cuomo’s Management
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Outcomes of an impartial investigation. An impartial inquiry, overseen by the New York State legal professional common, discovered that Mr. Cuomo had harassed the ladies, together with present and former authorities staff, breaking state and federal legal guidelines. The report additionally discovered that he and aides retaliated in opposition to at the very least one girl who made her complaints public.
Nursing residence loss of life controversy. The Cuomo administration can also be beneath hearth for undercounting the variety of nursing-home deaths attributable to Covid-19 within the first half of 2020, a scandal that deepened after a Occasions investigation discovered that aides rewrote a well being division report to cover the true quantity.
Efforts to obscure the loss of life toll. Interviews and unearthed paperwork revealed in April that aides repeatedly overruled state well being officers in releasing the true nursing residence loss of life toll for months. A number of senior well being officers have resigned in response to the governor’s total dealing with of the pandemic, together with the vaccine rollout.
Will Cuomo be impeached? The State Meeting opened an impeachment investigation in March. It has taken on new urgency with the discharge of the legal professional common’s report, and its tempo is now anticipated to choose up. Democrats within the State Legislature and New York’s congressional delegation, in addition to President Biden, have referred to as on Mr. Cuomo to resign, saying he has misplaced the power to manipulate.
Mr. Cuomo’s legal professionals have referred to as the investigation by the state legal professional common, Letitia James, biased and sloppy, whereas Mr. Cuomo has denied touching anybody inappropriately. He has stated that among the girls could have misinterpreted his hugs, kisses on the cheek or jokes as improper.
Ms. DeRosa, thought-about one Mr. Cuomo’s most loyal aides, stood by the governor’s facet for years at the same time as his interior circle shrank in dimension and most of the prime staffers who had helped elect him in 2010 left the administration.
As Mr. Cuomo’s right-hand girl, she was deeply concerned in navigating the governor’s priorities via the State Legislature and helped Mr. Cuomo safe insurance policies such because the $15 minimal wage and paid household go away. She was additionally chair of the New York State Council on Ladies and was vocal about girls’s reproductive points.
