Politics- New transcripts and text message exhibits were released by New York's attorney general on Monday.
- In one fiery exchange, outside communications adviser
Lis Smith scolded Cuomo's top aide.
Texts sent by Democratic strategist Lis Smith as the
A profanity-laced exchange between Smith and Cuomo's top aide was released by the New York Attorney General's office on Monday in a tranche of documents, including an exhibit containing the text messages.
In a March 9, 2021 conversation — the same day that Albany's Times Union first reported the initial groping allegation against Cuomo — Smith texted top Cuomo aide
"Melissa just have your fucking assistant text people," Smith wrote to DeRosa, according the exhibit released by AG Letitia James as part of the investigation into the former New York governor.
"This is insane," Smith, a former Cuomo spokesperson for his 2014 reelection bid and the communications director for Pete Buttigieg's 2020 presidential campaign, continued. "You have an assistant for a fucking reason."
Smith, who has been known for her colorful language on the campaign trail and in the "Mayor Pete" Amazon documentary, did not return Insider's request for comment.
DeRosa's intense involvement in the PR response to the allegations and her documented involvement in using state resources to craft Cuomo's book about his pandemic response have been the subject of intense scrutiny in the fallout from his resignation.
Aside from her appearances alongside Cuomo at his once globally televised COVID briefings, DeRosa rose to prominence when the tides started to turn against him in Albany.
She was at the center of the first calls for Cuomo to resign following her remarks on a leaked call about how the state was withholding full numbers on nursing home deaths from the virus.
DeRosa also said in her deposition that James assured her that "everything will be fine" in the investigation that eventually led to her boss' resignation.