The rats are abandoning the ship USS Andrew Cuomo. Late on Sunday night we learned that Melissa DeRosa, Cuomo’s chief aide and toady, has also jumped ship.

In a statement, DeRosa wrote:

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the people of New York for the past 10 years. New Yorkers’ resilience, strength, and optimism through the most difficult times has inspired me every day. Personally, the past 2 years have been emotionally and mentally trying. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such talented and committed colleagues on behalf of our state.”

Well, at least she didn’t write the usual drivel about “spending more time with my family.”

But I don’t think the “past two years” drained Melissa DeRosa. It’s more like the days since NY Attorney General Letitia James released her bombshell report on Gov. Gropes’s shenanigans with female staffers. That’s because the 168-page report named DeRosa 187 times — and not it a good way, either.

And then there’s this interview with Brittany Commisso, “Executive Assistant No. 1,” which was to appear on “CBS This Morning” on Monday. CBS released a teaser on the “Evening News,” and DeRosa submitted her resignation hours later.

In addition to her inclusion in AG James’s report, other news outlets are releasing information about how toxic Melissa DeRosa was to other women, especially in her drive to protect Cuomo.

Former colleagues told the New York Post that DeRosa “is a ruthless, heartless, evil human being who will rip your heart out in order to get what she wants.” That source continued:

“She doesn’t have time for niceties. She doesn’t have time to get to know you as a person. You are either an individual who gets something done for her — or you’re in her way.”

Well, that must’ve left a mark. But there’s more from yet another staffer:

“I would have to think long and hard to find anyone who would say nice things about her.”

“She doesn’t treat people well. She would dress people down for no reason or over minor stuff.”

While yet another source simply stated:

“The only person with more enemies than Andy is Melissa.”

No wonder a Twitter user saw this “uncanny resemblance:”

Twitter screenshot.

Ouch. But the AG report also documents how Melissa DeRosa tried to undermine the credibility of accuser Lindsey Boylan.

Lindsey Boylan was the first woman to accuse Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. In December, 2020, Boylan tweeted that the governor had “sexually harassed” her over her looks. She also called him “one of the biggest harassers of all time.” Melissa DeRosa and Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi quickly went into damage control — not by defending the governor’s name, but by smearing Boylan.

The two sent Lindsey Boylan’s personnel records, which included some complaints, to various news outlets. Not only that, but DeRosa also circulated a proposed op-ed written by Cuomo that contained “personal and professional attacks” on Boylan. DeRosa later shared the letter with former and current Executive Chamber employees.

The AG report also notes how Melissa DeRosa, along with other top aides, were slow to report the complaints of former staffer Charlotte Bennett. Bennett had said that Cuomo had asked her if she was monogamous, and if she had sex with older men.

And then there’s the bizarre conference call that DeRosa held with two journalists, which the AG report also describes. The conference call, by the way, had been recorded.

In June, 2020, two reporters from Albany had reported on an interaction between DeRosa and Charlotte Bennett. And DeRosa did not like the way the reporters described the event. In fact, she referred to herself as Ghislaine Maxwell in the conference call:

“You presented it like, Melissa Ghislaine DeRosa introduces herself to the poor, innocent Charlotte Bennett as she walks through the door with the governor and the place is lined up to look at them.”

“And she’s — there’s the predatory figure in Christian Louboutins, saying, ‘Nice, I’m so glad you’re here.’”

A bit touchy, isn’t she?

But wait! There’s even more on the disgraced Cuomo aide.

The AG’s report also shows that Melissa’s father Giorgio DeRosa, who runs a lobbying firm, lobbied Cuomo’s Executive Chamber from January through April, 2021. His firm earned over $80,000 lobbying on behalf of Verizon, food service Delaware North, and Caesars Entertainment.

It’s nice to have connections in very high places, isn’t it?

The whole story stinks so bad that even liberal columnist Maureen Dowd called her one of the “Quislings of Albany.”

“Now comes a mudslide that may wash away him, his brother’s reputation, the careers of DeRosa and company, and his family’s legacy.”

So don’t feel sorry for poor Melissa DeRosa and the “emotionally and mentally trying” times she’s endured. She’s the mean girl who enjoyed the high life and the status that went with it, but who threw other women to the wolves to protect her boss. She thrived on the aphrodisiac of being the top aide to the Gov. Andrew Cuomo, not only the most powerful man in New York State, but one of the biggest names in the Democratic Party. Plus the son of the sainted Mario.

But now the wolves are coming after both her and Cuomo. The predators sense their weakened prey, and are moving in for the kill. Meanwhile Melissa DeRosa is veering off on a separate path, hoping the wolves don’t follow her. She may escape them, or not, but either way Melissa DeRosa should never come close to political power again. For that matter, neither should her boss.

Featured image: Metropolitan Transit Authority/flickr/cropped/CC BY 2.0.