NY Governor Cuomo’s Top Aide Resigns Amid Scandal, Allegations Of Retaliation

Embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa, announced her resignation on Sunday.

DeRosa’s departure comes shortly after New York Attorney General Letitia James found that Cuomo had sexually harassed a number of women.

DeRosa was also named in AG James’ report as having “led retaliatory efforts against one accuser who came forward in December to publicly address her allegations against the governor,” according to The Hill.

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Covering For Cuomo?

Axios reports that DeRosa, who has worked in the Cuomo administration for seven years, is the first of Cuomo’s senior aides to resign amid the sexual allegations swirling around the Governor.

The New York Times reports that DeRosa has been the one constant advisor who has stood by Cuomo as other top administration staff have left. 

But DeRosa is implicated as well in the AG’s report. The allegations in the report state that DeRosa led efforts to retaliate against one of the women who spoke out last December, and that DeRosa admitted to it.

DeRosa admitted to investigators that she released former aide and Cuomo accuser Lindsey Boylan’s personnel records to various media outlets last December.

Attorney General James’ report gets even more damning for DeRosa. The New York Post reports that, according to the Attorney General’s findings, instead of taking accusations by other staffers seriously, DeRosa attempted to cover up or dismiss altogether any allegations in order to protect Cuomo.

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DeRosa’s Statement

DeRosa issued a statement on Sunday night where she said that, “the past two years have been emotionally and mentally trying.” Her statement continued:

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the people of New York for the past 10 years. New Yorkers’ resilience, strength, and optimism through the most difficult times has inspired me every day. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such talented and committed colleagues on behalf of our state.”

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Other Possible Headaches For DeRosa

Melissa DeRosa may have other Cuomo scandals to worry about. Back in February, a report came to light that Cuomo, and possibly others on his staff, knowingly withheld the actual numbers of New York state nursing home deaths due to COVID-19.

It was Melissa DeRosa herself who, on a conference call with state Democrat leaders, said that the Cuomo administration had rejected a request from the state Senate for a complete list of COVID deaths.

DeRosa then said that former President Trump was turning the New York state death toll “into a giant political football.” She then adds that, “He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes.”

DeRosa continued, “He starts going after [New Jersey Gov. Phil] Murphy, starts going after [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, starts going after [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer,” and that “Trump directs the Department of Justice to do an investigation into us. And basically we froze.”