Career

He functioned as Spitzer"s top aide and chief of staff Baum was involved in the Eliot Spitzer political surveillance controversy in 2007. He was previously Spitzer"s chief of staff in the office of the Attorney General.

He tendered his resignation as Secretary to the Governor on March 16, 2008.

In May 2008 Baum become the first chief operating officer of The New York Academy of Sciences. Mr. Baum"s legal name is Richard Baum.

He is an only child who grew up in Middletown, New York and he was born in 1969.