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

Voting Rights Under Fire in Texas: Over a Million Purged From Rolls, ACLU Warns

DON'T MISS

Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins

DON'T MISS

Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home

DON'T MISS

Labor Day Quiz: What Did Elvis Do Before He Was the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’?

DON'T MISS

Why Black Students Are Still Disciplined at Higher Rates: Takeaways From AP’s Report

DON'T MISS

Top Brazilian Judge Orders Suspension of X Platform in Brazil Amid Feud With Musk

DON'T MISS

Trump Reverses Course, Opposes Florida Abortion Rights Measure After Conservative Backlash

DON'T MISS

How a Real Estate Boom Drove Political Corruption in Los Angeles

DON'T MISS

Big Red Church Hosts Forum on Palestine on Saturday Night

DON'T MISS

Palestinian TikTok Star Who Shared Details of Gaza Life Under Siege Is Killed by Israeli Airstrike

UP NEXT

Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins

UP NEXT

Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home

UP NEXT

Labor Day Quiz: What Did Elvis Do Before He Was the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’?

UP NEXT

Why Black Students Are Still Disciplined at Higher Rates: Takeaways From AP’s Report

UP NEXT

Top Brazilian Judge Orders Suspension of X Platform in Brazil Amid Feud With Musk

UP NEXT

Trump Reverses Course, Opposes Florida Abortion Rights Measure After Conservative Backlash

UP NEXT

How a Real Estate Boom Drove Political Corruption in Los Angeles

UP NEXT

Big Red Church Hosts Forum on Palestine on Saturday Night

UP NEXT

Palestinian TikTok Star Who Shared Details of Gaza Life Under Siege Is Killed by Israeli Airstrike

UP NEXT

Valley PBS Taps Mollison to Be New President/CEO

Labor Day Quiz: What Did Elvis Do Before He Was the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’?

11 hours ago

Why Black Students Are Still Disciplined at Higher Rates: Takeaways From AP’s Report

12 hours ago

Top Brazilian Judge Orders Suspension of X Platform in Brazil Amid Feud With Musk

23 hours ago

Trump Reverses Course, Opposes Florida Abortion Rights Measure After Conservative Backlash

23 hours ago

How a Real Estate Boom Drove Political Corruption in Los Angeles

1 day ago

Big Red Church Hosts Forum on Palestine on Saturday Night

1 day ago

Palestinian TikTok Star Who Shared Details of Gaza Life Under Siege Is Killed by Israeli Airstrike

1 day ago

Valley PBS Taps Mollison to Be New President/CEO

1 day ago

Farber Campus Opening: ‘Where Students’ Dreams Can Flourish and Not Wither’

1 day ago

Visalia Rawhide and City Agree on Terms to Upgrade Stadium

1 day ago

Voting Rights Under Fire in Texas: Over a Million Purged From Rolls, ACLU Warns

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the removal of over one million voters from state rolls since 2020, sparking concern among voting rights ad...

6 hours ago

6 hours ago

Voting Rights Under Fire in Texas: Over a Million Purged From Rolls, ACLU Warns

9 hours ago

Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins

A black poodle's face with his tongue sticking out
11 hours ago

Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home

11 hours ago

Labor Day Quiz: What Did Elvis Do Before He Was the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’?

12 hours ago

Why Black Students Are Still Disciplined at Higher Rates: Takeaways From AP’s Report

23 hours ago

Top Brazilian Judge Orders Suspension of X Platform in Brazil Amid Feud With Musk

23 hours ago

Trump Reverses Course, Opposes Florida Abortion Rights Measure After Conservative Backlash

1 day ago

How a Real Estate Boom Drove Political Corruption in Los Angeles

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend