CNN has finally taken an action–and it’s the right one: anchor Chris Cuomo was suspended indefinitely after the New York Attorney General’s office released new documents related to his role in helping his brother.
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has been indefinitely suspended by the cable news channel after documents released by the New York Attorney General’s office detailed how he used his connections to try and help his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, respond to claims of sexual harassment.
Chris Cuomo participated in strategy sessions with his brother and his brother’s staff, and an investigation from the NYAG showed that he helped craft the governor’s response to one allegation.
However, the new information also showed that Cuomo used his sources and contacts to find information about some of his brother’s accusers and to gather information about stories other journalists were working on about the governor.
“I would — when asked, I would reach out to sources, other journalists, to see if they had heard of anybody else coming out,” Cuomo told investigators from the AG’s office. “I was frequently in contact when we would hear word that there were other people coming out. Or there was more to be learned about somebody, I would talk to other journalists to hear what they had heard.”
The CNN anchor gathered information about a story that Ronan Farrow was working on for The New Yorker, including details about when it might publish, and if Farrow had uncovered any new accusers. That being said, Chris Cuomo also told investigators that he never tried to influence stories about his brother.
“I wasn’t going to call [Ronan Farrow]. I wasn’t going to try to influence any of the stories. And we know that that’s true because you would have read about it had I. It’s not exactly a loyalty-based business.,” Cuomo said. “If I had tried to influence any of the reporting at CNN or anywhere else, I guarantee you you people would know, and so would a lot of others. So the idea of one reporter calling another to find out about what’s coming down the pipe is completely business-as-usual.”
The details also revealed that the CNN anchor was a more active participant in strategy sessions than previously detailed, and also spoke to his brother and his brother’s staff about coverage of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He ultimately urged his brother to resign, telling his CNN audience, “My advice to my brother was simple and consistent: ‘Own what you did, tell people what you will do to be better, be contrite,’ and finally, ‘Accept that it doesn’t matter what you intended. What matters is how your actions and words were perceived.’”
However, during his deposition with investigators, he also made a comment that looks particularly prescient given Tuesday’s decision by CNN.
Chris Cuomo said: “My perspective here is — no disrespect to any of the people putting forward allegations — this is my brother, and I’m trying to help my brother through a situation where he has told me he did nothing wrong. And that’s it for me. How do I protect my family? How do I help protect him? Probably should have been thinking more about how I protect myself, which just never occurred to me.”
