Two years after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, top aide Melissa DeRosa published a book that she says details ‘the good, bad and the ugly’ of her experiences during the last years of his administration.
DeRosa sat down with “Mornings On 1” anchor Pat Kiernan on Friday to provide a peek into the pages of her memoir, “What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis,” which encompasses an array of topics, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the sexual misconduct scandal that led to Cuomo’s resignation.
"This was really about my story and making sense of what happened in the last two years of the Cuomo administration. And, the pandemic in particular, you know we were the global epicenter of a once-in-a-century pandemic, and I thought that it was really important that the public have a glimpse into what was going on behind the scenes during those devastating days," DeRosa said during the interview.
She emphasized that her book does not seek to defend the former governor, but rather to provide an honest account of events.
“My intent with this book is to tell people the truth about what happened. My intent is to tell people the truth – the good, bad and the ugly – and allow them to judge history for itself,” she said.
Regarding the 11 women who accused Cuomo of inappropriate behavior, DeRosa clarified, "People ask me, 'Are you trying to tell me 11 women are lying?' No. I'm not telling you 11 women are lying." However, she does believe that the scandal was manufactured to some degree by New York state Attorney General Letitia James and other officials in order to press a resignation.
"I think that the brilliance of what Tish James and Joon Kim and Anne Clark did with that report is they weaponized everyday interactions in order to drive this number up because the initial two or three allegations were so murky, they couldn’t stand on their own and over time, have fallen apart,” DeRosa said.
In the aftermath of the report, a then-spokesperson for James defended the report and the accusations in it.
“There are 11 women whose accounts have been corroborated by a mountain of evidence," James spokesman Fabien Levy said on Aug. 6, 2021. "Any suggestion that attempts to undermine the credibility of these women or this investigation is unfortunate."
DeRosa further defended the Cuomo administration’s actions during the pandemic, especially regarding decisions surrounding nursing homes, asserting, "There was nothing there that was criminal. This was decisions that were made in war time in an effort to make sure the hospital system didn't collapse."
And while DeRosa did express her continued support for Andrew Cuomo’s political career, she does not see herself returning as his right-hand woman.
"Andrew Cuomo, I think is the best executive this state has had, in my lifetime certainly, and if he decides to run again, I will support him,” she said. “But, it's time to chart my own course."