Former Cuomo aide resigns, gets cushy job

Share this article

A former aide to the disgraced, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made almost a half-million dollars in salary despite being forced to resign.

The New York Post reported that James Malatras, the recently-resigned State University of New York chancellor, is being paid $450,000 for a so-called “study leave.” After that period is over, he will earn a $186,660 annual salary as a tenured faculty member at SUNY Empire College. He previously was Empire College’s president.

He only served one year of his five-year term before his resignation. His replacement, SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley, had planned on retiring at year’s end in 2021, but stalled plans until a permanent chancellor is named.

The university system’s board of trustees approved the arrangement on January 16, 2022, despite Malatras’s forced resignation over his role in attacking one of Cuomo’s accusers. Malatras worked as Cuomo’s director of state operations.

SUNY spokesman Leo Rosales said, “After a thorough review by outside counsel, the SUNY Board of Trustees have resolved and fulfilled its contractual obligations to former Chancellor Dr. Jim Malatras. Consistent with his initial contract, Dr. Malatras will be provided one-year study leave followed by a tenured faculty position at Empire State College. We believe this resolution is fair and equitable.”

The contract stipulated that Malatras agreed to not sue “with respect to any matter related to SUNY.”

Interestingly enough, SUNY hired outside lawyers to review the agreement for almost a month because Malatras announced his resignation on December 9, 2021. The system did not name which law firm it consulted to look over the agreement.

Malatras resigned because of his criticism of Boylan, who accused Malatras’s former boss, Cuomo, of sexual harassment. Boylan was not alone in accusing Cuomo of sexual harassment, but the media pressure forced Cuomo to resign.

Regarding Boylan, Malatras had strong words for Boylan. In a test to Cuomo staffers, he wrote, “Malatras to Boylan: Go f–k yourself.” In a different text, he said, “Let’s release some of her cray emails!”