MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Who is Dane Pfeiffer? Andrew Cuomo's bodyguard transferred after he dated Gov's daughter Cara, claims report

The duo reportedly started dating around seven months ago after Cara had moved into the executive mansion in Albany

A New York state trooper who had been assigned to Governor Andrew Cuomo's security detail allegedly dated one of his daughters, Cara Kennedy Cuomo, and was transferred close to the Canadian border, 160 miles away to a state police station in Plattsburgh, according to a report.

The state trooper, Dane Pfeiffer, 35, had met Cara Kennedy Cuomo, 25, through his job as one of her father's bodyguards, as per sources, reports New York Post. The duo reportedly started dating around seven months ago after Cara had moved into the executive mansion in Albany. A short time later, Cuomo learned of his daughter's relationship with Dane, sources claimed.

Dane's relationship with Cara allegedly resulted in his being removed from Cuomo's protective detail due to "the protocol of dignitary protection," as per a law enforcement source. A state police spokesman revealed that on May 24, Dane himself had requested a "voluntary transfer" to Troop B in northeastern New York. According to records, Dane had started his career there after graduating from the State Police Academy in 2015. 

An insider shared, "He was transferred to keep him away from the daughter because the governor didn’t like whatever they were doing." However, the move did not stop the couple from seeing each other and Dane routinely does return to the executive mansion to pick up Cara for dates, which further upset Cuomo, claims the report. 

Sources said Dane was not found to have committed any misconduct and his transfer to a state police station in Plattsburgh did not go on his record as an official discipline. Plattsburgh is located around 160 miles north of the Capitol and is around 25 miles south of the Canadian border. 

According to records, Dane had purchased a house in Saratoga Springs close to Albany in 2018 and the change in his commute is said to be an informal punishment that police call 'highway therapy'. The source said Cuomo "is limited in how much he can screw with him, so highway therapy is one of his few options"

A state police spokesman, William 'Beau' Duffy, claimed that Dane had requested a transfer back to Troop B "to gain more field experience to further his career advancement track to the rank of sergeant." He added, "Such requests are routine, and it was granted."

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi revealed that "the governor had nothing to do with the transfer — it was requested by the trooper."

Social media users did not necessarily agree with the transfer but did seem to understand the sentiments behind it. One user wrote, "I would too. Public Official security members who get personally involved create a dangerous environment for everyone. A love interest could distract them & result in crucial mistakes, potentially risking safety & lives. I would want my security team focused on their jobs."

Another added, "I would assume there were rules about the security guys shtupping the client's daughter..." Yet another commented, "It wouldn't be an ethics violation for the governor to ask for someone to be removed from his security detail."

The NY Post report claimed that Cuomo's apparent disdain for his daughter's date counters the 'advice to fathers' that he had given during a news conference in April when he had discussed family dinners that had included Cara's twin sister Mariah Kennedy Cuomo's boyfriend Tellef Lundevall. "The answer on what you think of the boyfriend is always, ‘I like the boyfriend.’ Always," he said.