Top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa to stay on governor’s staff until he’s out of office

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Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News
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NEW YORK — She’s sticking by her boss until the bitter end.

Melissa DeRosa, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top aide, will keep working for the governor until he formally leaves office in two weeks, the New York Daily News has learned.

DeRosa announced her resignation Sunday, but initially did not provide a departure date, sparking confusion about her status in Cuomo’s office as pressure mounted for the governor to also step aside over his sexual harassment scandal.

About an hour after Cuomo announced his own resignation on Tuesday, DeRosa clarified to the Daily News in a brief phone call that she hasn’t submitted a formal letter of departure yet. Rather, she said she plans to stay on with the governor through Aug. 24, when they will both exit state government service together.

Once Cuomo is officially out, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will take over the gubernatorial reins and install her own executive staff.

Hochul is considered unlikely to keep Cuomo staffers onboard who were implicated in the governor’s sexual harassment scandal by Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation.

DeRosa, who as secretary to the governor is the top appointed official in state government, was personally named in the AG’s bombshell report nearly as many times as Cuomo.

The investigators concluded that DeRosa helped foster a “toxic” work environment at the State Capitol in Albany that enabled the 63-year-old governor to sexually harass 11 women, most of them much younger former and current aides.

As part of his resignation speech Tuesday, Cuomo for the first time apologized to all 11 women, saying he understands he “deeply offended” them and takes “full responsibility” for his actions.

Cuomo is the ninth governor in New York history to resign from office.

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