Prominent Hochul aide resigns following sexual harassment allegation
'For nearly four years I've spent every day working to serve this administration and the people of New York,' Small wrote in a resignation letter obtained by POLITICO. 'I'm grateful for the opportunity.'
He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Small was also the subject of an internal probe last year.
In early 2024, a complaint was made about him repeatedly berating a junior staffer. Several people who spoke with POLITICO said Small had a history of castigating younger employees.
Four of those people said investigators were given information about Small questioning an underling by cornering them in a supply closet. And two of them said he would sometimes discuss his sex life at work.
A person familiar with the outcome of the 2024 probe said it did not result in a human resources violation. The governor's office did not comment on the investigation specifically but said appropriate action was taken.
Small served as Hochul's press secretary since July 2023 and had been one of the governor's closest aides. He would frequently travel the state with her, and Hochul officiated Small's wedding ceremony, according to photos posted to his Instagram account.
Hochul took office in 2021 after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned following the findings of a state attorney general report that determined he sexually harassed 11 women, which he has denied. Hochul vowed on the day Cuomo resigned that she would not tolerate a toxic work environment.
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