Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
CNN Suspends Chris Cuomo for Helping Brother in Scandal
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
December 1, 2021

Share

CNN said Tuesday it was suspending anchor Chris Cuomo indefinitely after details emerged about how he helped his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as he faced charges of sexual harassment.

The network said that documents released by New York’s attorney general Monday indicated a greater level of involvement in his brother’s efforts than the network previously knew.

“As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation,” the network said.

The CNN anchor had pressed sources for information on his brother’s accusers and reported back to the governor’s staff, and was active helping to craft their response to the charges, according to emails and a transcript of his testimony before investigators working for state Attorney General Letitia James.

New Details Released

Cuomo had previously acknowledged talking to his brother and offering advice when the governor faced the harassment charges that led to his resignation. But the information released Nov. 29 revealed far more details about what he did.

Andrew Cuomo resigned in August to avoid a likely impeachment trial, after an investigation led by James’s office found he sexually harassed at least 11 women.

Cuomo’s program, which airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time on weeknights, is often the network’s most-watched show of the day.

Cuomo interviewed his brother on the air a number of times during the first two months of the COVID-19 epidemic. It was a hit with viewers, although it violated CNN’s policy of not having Cuomo report on his brother, and was a programming choice that has grown worse with time and additional revelations.

Anchor Frequently Consulted With Brother’s Aides

Chris Cuomo frequently consulted with his brother’s aides when Andrew was fighting the charges last May, sometimes disagreeing with their advice.

“This is my brother, and I’m trying to help my brother through a situation where he told me he did nothing wrong,” Cuomo testified last July to investigators at the attorney general’s office.

He has said he had done nothing to influence his own network’s coverage of the story.

Cuomo also said that he reached out to other journalists to find out whether they were writing stories about his brother, most notably seeking information on what Ronan Farrow of the New Yorker was writing. He acknowledged he didn’t tell CNN he was doing this, and characterized his actions as nothing out of the ordinary for a journalist.

Critics Called on CNN to Take Action

Critics have called on CNN to take action following the attorney general’s release, with David A. Graham of The Atlantic saying Cuomo should resign — or be fired by CNN if he doesn’t.

Cuomo, a lawyer, is 13 years younger than Andrew Cuomo, who he has described as his best friend. They are the sons of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, who was in office from 1982 to 1996.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Crescent View West High Celebrates New Clovis Home

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog

DON'T MISS

Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies

DON'T MISS

Artists, Vendors Plan to Defy City’s ArtHop Crackdown

DON'T MISS

Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’

DON'T MISS

The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance

DON'T MISS

‘Fed Up’ Dyer, Councilmembers Unveil Plan to Crack Down on Street Campers

DON'T MISS

House Republicans Slam Trump’s ‘Worst Choice’ for VP Pick JD Vance

DON'T MISS

Companies Cut Prices to Boost Sales, Consumers Respond

DON'T MISS

Stay Cool, Fresno!

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog

UP NEXT

Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies

UP NEXT

Artists, Vendors Plan to Defy City’s ArtHop Crackdown

UP NEXT

Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’

UP NEXT

The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance

UP NEXT

‘Fed Up’ Dyer, Councilmembers Unveil Plan to Crack Down on Street Campers

UP NEXT

House Republicans Slam Trump’s ‘Worst Choice’ for VP Pick JD Vance

UP NEXT

Companies Cut Prices to Boost Sales, Consumers Respond

UP NEXT

Stay Cool, Fresno!

UP NEXT

Warner Bros. Discovery Sues NBA for Not Accepting Its Matching Offer

Artists, Vendors Plan to Defy City’s ArtHop Crackdown

4 hours ago

Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’

5 hours ago

The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance

5 hours ago

‘Fed Up’ Dyer, Councilmembers Unveil Plan to Crack Down on Street Campers

5 hours ago

House Republicans Slam Trump’s ‘Worst Choice’ for VP Pick JD Vance

5 hours ago

Companies Cut Prices to Boost Sales, Consumers Respond

6 hours ago

Stay Cool, Fresno!

6 hours ago

Warner Bros. Discovery Sues NBA for Not Accepting Its Matching Offer

6 hours ago

Tanker Plane Crash Kills Firefighting Pilot in Oregon as Western Wildfires Spread

6 hours ago

Will Bonta Election Lawsuit Reverse the Will of Fresno County Voters?

6 hours ago

Crescent View West High Celebrates New Clovis Home

The arch of colorful balloons over the doorway of a storefront on Shaw Avenue in Clovis was a clue that something exciting was happening on ...

3 hours ago

3 hours ago

Crescent View West High Celebrates New Clovis Home

3 hours ago

Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog

4 hours ago

Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies

4 hours ago

Artists, Vendors Plan to Defy City’s ArtHop Crackdown

5 hours ago

Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’

5 hours ago

The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance

5 hours ago

‘Fed Up’ Dyer, Councilmembers Unveil Plan to Crack Down on Street Campers

5 hours ago

House Republicans Slam Trump’s ‘Worst Choice’ for VP Pick JD Vance

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend