He was also Governor Pasta’s lawyer…
Counsel to New York Governor Cuomo
David served for four years in the Governor’s cabinet as the Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights, the first position of its kind in New York State. In this capacity, he was responsible for a full range of legal, policy, legislative and operational matters affecting civil rights and labor throughout the State
In 2015, David was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve as Counsel to the Governor. In this role, he functioned as the Governor’s chief counsel and principal legal advisor, and oversaw all significant legal and policy deliberations affecting New York State, including evaluating proposed legislation; implementing laws and policies and formulating the State’s posture in both affirmative and defensive litigation.
During this tenure in the Governor’s Office, David worked on landmark legislation and policy including the Marriage Equality Act, which removed legal barriers permitting same-sex couples to marry, the Workers Compensation Reform Act, which modernized key components of the program to ensure greater accountability and functionality, the Paid Family Leave Act, which ensures individuals leave to care for a sick family member, and the Minority and Women Business Program, which expanded contracting opportunities for MWBEs throughout the state.
In New York Attorney General Letitia “Tish” James’s independent investigation of allegations of sexual harassment by Cuomo, released in August 2021, David’s role in providing the full personnel files of former Cuomo advisor Lindsey Boylan to the governor’s office, which were then leaked to the press in an attempt to discredit her, is discussed. The report also states that David helped to draft a letter in defense of Cuomo and which questioned Boylan’s motivations. The letter was never released.
