Sexual harassment: the closest assistant to the governor of New York resigns
Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, has resigned over charges of sexual harassment.
AP - Mary Altaffer
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's top aide resigned Sunday, August 8, according to U.S. media reports, as the noose tightens around the once-influential politician, who may face charges of sexual harassment in court .
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Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor since 2017, has long been presented by New York media as one of her closest confidants.
But in her resignation letter - obtained by several US media outlets - she said the past two years had been "
emotionally and mentally trying
."
“
It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the people of New York for the past ten years.
The resilience, strength and optimism of New Yorkers in the most difficult times has inspired me every day,
”she said.
His resignation comes just days after the filing of a sexual harassment complaint against the governor, and the release
of an explosive report closing an independent investigation
, where 11 women accuse him of similar facts.
The complainant, anonymized as "executive assistant # 1" in the report, deplored several inappropriate and indecent gestures since the end of 2019 on the part of the governor, who refuted the accusations.
►
To read also
: Sexual harassment: first complaint against the governor of New York
Released on August 3, this damning report that Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 female employees is the result of an investigation by the Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
The report also named Melissa DeRosa as part of a support group seeking retaliation against a woman who accused the governor of harassment.
Governor of New York State since 2011, re-elected in 2014 and 2018,
Andrew Cuomo, 63,
has repeatedly denied his guilt, assuring that he "
never touched someone inappropriately or made sexual advances inappropriate
”.
The complaint paves the way for possible lawsuits for the governor, whom many Democratic allies, down to President Joe Biden, have called for to step down, and who is also the subject of proceedings in the State Parliament of New York may lead to his dismissal.
(
With
AFP)
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