In a text message sent to a friend after the meeting, Ms. Bennett said that Ms. DesRosiers said, “How can we do this?”, Asking if she wanted to remain in executive power or move to another part of the state government.
When Ms. Bennett’s friend asked what that meant, Ms. Bennett explained that outside work would still be with the administration, but “just not interacting with it.”
She also told her friend, in the same series of texts, that she trusted Mrs. DesRosiers, but was concerned by Mr. Cuomo’s reaction: “I just said that I didn’t want him to find out and be angry.”
Two days later, on June 12, Ms. DesRosiers told Ms. Bennett that she would be transferred to a new position as a health policy advisor, still working in the executive branch, but in a different part of the Capitol. Her new job was announced in a June 17 email to Department of Health officials. “Welcome Charlotte!” he concluded.
Later that month, Ms. Bennett met with Mrs. Mogul, a special attorney for the governor, and repeated her statements. She said, however, that she soon decided to “put that aside and move on”.
In a note on Saturday, Beth Garvey, another special advisor to the governor, said that “Mrs. Bennett’s concerns were handled with sensitivity and respect and in accordance with applicable law and policy. ”She characterized the move to a health policy post as something that meets Ms. Bennett’s“ old interest ”.
Regarding Mrs. Bennett, Ms. Garvey said: “she was consulted on the resolution and expressed satisfaction and appreciation for the way it was treated”. Barbara S. Jones, a former federal judge in Manhattan, will conduct an external review on the matter, said Garvey.