A Facebook communications manager allegedly assisted Governor Andrew Cuomo in smearing a woman who has accused him of sexual misconduct; this was shown in a recent inquiry by the New York prosecutor’s office.
A Facebook Communications Manager Buried the Latest Charges Against Cuomo
According to the New York Post, a top Facebook communications manager collaborated with Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo (D) to combat sexual assault charges. As per a recent inquiry by the New York Justice Department, a Facebook communications manager called Dani Lever (who worked previously in Cuomo’s media department) was instrumental in burying the governor’s latest charges.
Lever worked in Cuomo’s press office from 2014 to August 2020, when she resigned to join Facebook as a communications manager. Lindsey Boylan, a former Cuomo employee, was the first one to make allegations against the governor in December 2020; she also was the beginning of a trend with similar claims.
Two years down with this guy. Thanks for the memories @melissadderosa pic.twitter.com/6uH9spCvsu
— Dani Lever (@Dani_Lever) January 9, 2016
Cuomo’s director of communications, Rich Azzopardi, forwarded Boylan’s case file to various reporters shortly after the charges were made public. Azzopardi’s choice to publish classified data on Boylan was said to be an attempt to delegitimize and degrade her, according to authorities.
Having worked at Facebook for a long time, Lever reportedly assisted Cuomo’s employees in sharing and spreading the materials. Lever communicated with a few of the journalists who obtained the papers to let them understand the administrative chamber would be providing them, according to the attorney general’s investigation.
'The View' fails to disclose to viewers that Whoopi Goldberg headlined Cuomo fundraiser while tackling scandalhttps://t.co/kJazErSBro
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 5, 2021
The “Team” Met Often to Discredit The Accusers
Lever was also a member of a team of consultants from the inside and beyond the Chamber who had continuous and regular meetings about how to react to the claims publicly; this included CNN personality Chris Cuomo, the New York governor’s brother.
Immediately after Boylan implicated Cuomo, Cuomo’s team began drafting a statement that also included accusations against Boylan discovered in her private personnel records. According to the AG report, the communication also questioned her trustworthiness.
The email furthermore seemed to imply that she was conspiring with followers of previous President Donald Trump to depose Cuomo. Melissa DeRosa, a Cuomo staffer, is said to have forwarded a copy of the letter to a number of people and asked them to sign it.
Omg – @TIMESUPNOW (which refused to help @ReadeAlexandra vs Biden allegedly bc it doesn’t get involved in political cases) WAS ADVISING A. CUOMO ON HOW TO FIGHT @LindseyBoylan’s allegs. Oh, & the prez of (SJW) Human Rights Campaign leaked her personnel file. DISGUSTING. https://t.co/KpWtMcLSeL
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) August 5, 2021
Lever declined to deliver the letter because she felt it was victim-blaming. In February, Lever signed a statement in favor of Cuomo refuting Boylan’s claims the governor recommended they perform “strip poker” while flying on a government plane in 2017.
Lever attended many of these October trips, and this discussion did not occur. This was stated in a joint declaration with fellow, former, and present staffers John Maggiore, Howard Zemsky, and Abbey Fashouer Collins.
Lever, Chris Cuomo, and other allies who tried to safeguard Andrew Cuomo were not officially engaged in any manner by the executive chamber or any of the persons involved, according to AG officials.
During this, they were routinely given secret and frequently confidential information regarding state operations; they also assisted in the making of decisions that affected state business and personnel. This was despite having no formal position, responsibility, or commitment to the state.
