The governor’s assistant, whose wedding reception is at the heart of the latest allegation of sexual harassment against governor Andrew Cuomo, is leaving his task force COVID-19.
Gareth Rhodes said in a prepared statement on Wednesday that he was returning to his post as deputy superintendent and special counsel at the financial services department.
‘Last week, as I approached one year since moving to Albany to join the NYS Covid Task Force, I decided it was time, given the progress of the vaccination program and the continuing decline in Covid numbers, to return to my previous role at the Department of I and Financial Services at the time informed the senior staff of the governor, ”reads the statement from Rhodes.
The move came days after Anna Ruch, 33, became the third woman to accuse Cuomo, 63, of sexual harassment.
It also comes shortly before Cuomo is expected to hold his first news conference since the scandal broke out last week.
Rhodes was regularly among the officials of the Cuomo administration to join the governor during his briefings.
In a story published Monday, Ruch told the New York Times that Cuomo came to her, grabbed her face and kissed her on the cheek after she was married to Rhodes and Alexa Kissinger, a former staff member. of the White House for President Barack Obama, held in 2019.
A photo of the incident shows Cuomo towering over Ruch as he holds her head with both hands and she looks at him in fear in the Manhattan restaurant Toro.
Kissinger expressed support for Ruch, an Obama aide, following her revelations.
“This pattern of behavior is completely unacceptable,” Kissinger tweeted.
“I’m so proud of @annaruch because she told her story.”