A longtime advisor to former Governor Andrew Cuomo is resigning. Steven Cohen who led the state’s economic development efforts is resigning from the post, according to Governor Kathy Hochul’s office.
Cohen was named in a report that was released earlier this month, outlining systemic harassment and retaliation against staffers. He also publicly defended Cuomo earlier this year when allegations of sexual harassment became public.
“I can tell you never in my time working with the governor, the former attorney general, private citizen Andrew Cuomo, I have never seen anything of the like of what Ms. Boylan has described,” he said in March. Lindsey Boylan was one of the first women to come forward and accuse then-Governor Cuomo of harassment, retaliation, and poor treatment in the workplace. “His conduct has always been in my presence with the members of other staff, appropriate — not that it is always fun-loving and a good time — but it is always appropriate and he pushes to get results. Those results are obvious to everyone.”
Hochul had promised before taking office that anyone who was a part of that report, or named in it would not be part of the new administration.
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