CNN Suspends Chris Cuomo ‘Indefinitely’ for Advising Brother Amid Harassment Scandal

Posted

NEW YORK — CNN has suspended Chris Cuomo “indefinitely” after reviewing the host’s testimony in the investigation of sexual harassment allegations against his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

CNN issued a statement Tuesday saying Cuomo’s role as an adviser to his brother as he battled the allegations went beyond what the company previously knew.

Testimony released Monday by office of the New York State Attorney General Letitia James showed that Chris Cuomo was deeply involved in shaping his brother’s defense, including contacting other journalists to inquire whether other women accusers were coming forward.

“The New York Attorney General’s office released transcripts and exhibits Monday that shed new light on Chris Cuomo’s involvement in his brother’s defense,” a CNN representative said. “The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions. When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother’s staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly. But we also appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and job second. However, these documents point to a greater level of involvement in his brother’s efforts than we previously knew. As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation.”



Chris Cuomo gave a deposition in July for the report that found the former governor had sexually harassed 11 women, including several who worked with him.

According to texts in the attorney general’s report, Chris Cuomo firmly weighed in on the communications strategy for his brother’s response to the scandal as it unfolded earlier this year and offered to investigate at least one claim.

He is quoted as saying he had information on a woman who accused the former governor of unwanted touching at a wedding reception. “I have a lead on the wedding girl,” he wrote in a text to the governor’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa, according to the report. The report also says Cuomo sought to get information on a story journalist Ronan Farrow was working on about the governor for The New Yorker.