Longtime advisers and allies helped the governor explore the series of crises. There are two former top assistants, Steven M. Cohen, the former secretary of the governor, and William Mulrow, another former secretary of the governor who now works at the private equity firm Blackstone; Melissa DeRosa, the governor’s top assistant; Mr. Cuomo’s voice master, Jefrey Pollock; and Beth Garvey, special counsel to the governor.
The result Wednesday was an unusually rattling CEO, who offered an emotional apology for his behavior but insisted he never “touched anyone improperly” and that he did not intend to resign.
“In the palace’s intrigue, there is a task to be done and New Yorkers have elected the governor to do it,” a spokesman for the governor, Richard Azzopardi, said in a statement. “That’s why he focused on getting as many gunshots as possible, making sure New York gets its share of Washington’s Covid relief package and working on a state budget that will pay in three weeks.”
People who are in contact with mr. Cuomo’s team was, some staff members – especially young people – described as demoralized and exhausted, while a series of controversies unfolded on a year of Covid-19 in an extremely demanding environment.
Several staff members have left his office in recent days, citing various reasons. Among those who left is Gareth Rhodes, who served as a member of the state coronavirus task force and a regular guest star during Mr. Cuomo’s newsletters, and members of his press team.
While the legislature has been engaged in high-stakes budget negotiations, even Mr. Cuomo’s traditional allies that his influence has taken a hit.
“It made his job difficult,” said Jay Jacobs, the Democratic Party chairman of New York State. On Thursday, he met with Mr. Cuomo chats. “Being under this kind of pressure affects the amount, the degree of, your political strength.”