Longtime advisers and allies helped the governor deal with a series of crises. They include two senior advisers, Steven M. Cohen, the former governor’s secretary, and William Mulrow, another former governor’s secretary who now works for the private equity firm Blackstone; Melissa DeRosa, principal advisor to the governor; Mr. Cuomo’s researcher, Jefrey Pollock; and Beth Garvey, the governor’s special advisor.
The result on Wednesday was an unusually agitated chief executive, who apologized emotionally for his conduct, but insisted that he never “touched anyone inappropriately” and that he had no intention of resigning.
“Leaving aside the palace intrigue, there is work to be done and New Yorkers have elected the governor to do so,” said a spokesman for the governor, Richard Azzopardi, in a statement. “That’s why he’s been focusing on getting as many shots as possible, ensuring that New York gets its fair share of Covid’s aid package to Washington and working on a state budget that expires in three weeks.”
People who have been in contact with the Cuomo team have described some team members – particularly the youngest ones – as demoralized and exhausted, while a series of controversies unfolds at the beginning of a year sailing through Covid-19 in an exceptionally demanding environment.
Several team members have left their office in the past few days, citing several reasons. Among those who left are Gareth Rhodes, who served as a member of the state coronavirus task force and was a frequent guest during Cuomo’s news briefings, and members of his press team.
As the Legislature moves into high-risk budget negotiations, even Cuomo’s traditional allies acknowledge that their influence has been affected.
“It made his job more difficult,” said Jay Jacobs, the chairman of the New York State Democratic Party, who said he spoke to Cuomo on Thursday. “When you’re under that kind of pressure, it will influence the amount and degree of your political strength.”