Melissa DeRosa, a fixture next to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for months during his coronavirus news conferences, resigned late Sunday on the heels of a report that found Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women, leaving the governor without his top aide as he faces the prospect of impeachment.
DeRosa, who had been one of Cuomo's most fierce defenders and strategists, said in a statement sent to multiple new organizations that serving the people of New York had been "the greatest honor of my life."
But she added, "Personally, the past two years have been emotionally and mentally trying."
She didn't give a more specific reason for her resignation.
"I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such talented and committed colleagues on behalf of our state," she said.
DeRosa's departure comes as Cuomo has dug in for the fight of his political life despite the threat of criminal investigations and widespread calls for his impeachment.
DeRosa, who often defended Cuomo when he faced public criticism, had been with the administration since 2013. She got the title "secretary to the governor" in 2017, and was probably the most recognizable face in the administration after Cuomo.
She appeared by his side in most of his news briefings and often fielded policy questions from reporters when the governor didn't know enough details to answer.
DeRosa was mentioned 187 times in the attorney general's report, which detailed the administration's efforts to discredit some of his accusers.
The report described DeRosa as a central figure in his office's retaliation against one of the women, Lindsey Boylan, after she became the first person to speak out publicly. The administration released internal memos showing that Boylan had, herself, been the subject of complaints about toxic workplace behavior.
The investigators' report also revealed some tension between DeRosa and Cuomo. She told investigators she was so upset with the way Cuomo had handled a conversation with one of his accusers, former aide Charlotte Bennett, that she angrily got out of his car when it stopped at a traffic light.
"She told the governor, 'I can't believe that this happened. I can't believe you put yourself in a situation where you would be having any version of this conversation,'" the report said.
The governor's lawyers have promised what will likely be a drawn-out fight to stay in office, and few see him as willing to quit.
