Ns News Online Desk: US- New York Governor . Andrew Cuomo’s top aide — who played a key role in trying to suppress his spiraling sexual harassment scandal — is a “ruthless, heartless, evil human being” who’s made even more enemies in Albany than her notoriously vindictive boss, sources who know her told The Post.
Melissa DeRosa, whose job as secretary to the governor makes her the state’s most powerful non-elected official, was described by one former Executive Chamber insider as “the worst person I have ever worked for in my entire professional career.” “She is a ruthless, heartless, evil human being who will rip your heart out in order to get what she wants,” the source said.
“She doesn’t have time for niceties. She doesn’t have time to get to know you as a person. You are either an individual who gets something done for her — or you’re in her way.” The source also said that the “toxic” and “abusive” work environment described in Attorney General Letitia James’ devastating report on the sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo “starts with [DeRosa] and it trickles down.”
A former Cuomo staffer said of DeRosa, “I would have to think long and hard to find anyone who would say nice things about her.” “She doesn’t treat people well. She would dress people down for no reason or over minor stuff,” the ex-colleague said.
“Every problem is considered an equal crisis. Everything is treated as over the top. As a government, that’s not sustainable.” The source added: “She is now going to experience the fruits of that.”Another source close to the governor’s office said: “The only person with more enemies than Andy is Melissa.”
DeRosa’s outsize influence among Cuomo’s cronies is illustrated by the fact that James’ 168-page report mentions both her and the governor by name the same number of times — 187 — even though Cuomo’s name appears in the title and twice more in the table of contents.
One section addresses Cuomo’s alleged penchant for referring to DeRosa, 38, and other female loyalists as his office’s “mean girls” — with DeRosa apparently emerging as the meanest of the bunch.
Among other things, investigators found she tried to discredit former Cuomo aide Lindsey Boylan — the first woman to go public with sexual harassment allegations against the three-term Democrat — by admittedly leaking complaints from her personnel file to reporters.DeRosa justified the move because Boylan’s tweets about the governor — which included calling him “one of the biggest abusers of all time — had grown “more and more escalating,” according to the report.
DeRosa also had a hand in circulating a proposed op-ed drafted by Cuomo that included “personal and professional attacks” on Boylan before it was abandoned for engaging in “victim shaming,” the report said.
