Hundreds of pages posted Monday by Letitia James’ office highlighted the role the 51-year-old played behind the scenes in dealing with allegations of sexual harassment against his brother, the former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo earlier this year.
Due to this new lighting
thrown on his involvement in the defense of his brother
, the network said in a press release that it had suspended the host of Cuomo Prime Time for an indefinite period, pending further evaluation
.
The documents, of which we were not aware before their public release, raise serious questions
, said the company, which had not yet cracked down on its employee, one of the channel’s most popular figures.
His inaction had also been the subject of criticism, and several had questioned the journalistic ethics of both the main interested party and the 24-hour news channel.
When Chris confessed to us that he had offered advice to his brother’s staff, he broke our rules and we publicly admitted it. But we also understood the unique position he found himself in, and we understood his need to put his family before his job.
, argued the network.
« However, these documents indicate a greater level of involvement in his brother’s efforts than we previously knew. »
On Monday, the cable channel had reacted by indicating that it would have conversations
and would seek to obtain further clarification
on the meaning of the information contained in the documents.
Broadcast from 9 p.m., Cuomo Prime Time – whose most-watched show on CNN – was replaced Tuesday night with a second hour ofAnderson Cooper 360.
The day before, a few hours after the publication of the documents, Chris Cuomo had hosted his show as if nothing had happened.
Both authors of the CNN article on his suspension wrote that it came after criticism was raised that he violated widely accepted journalistic standards
.
« Staff at CNN have expressed dismay at the presenter’s conduct. »
Help greater than what was known
Chris Cuomo’s role as unofficial adviser to his older brother, forced to resign in August 2021 after an avalanche of allegations he has consistently denied, was already known. the Washington Post, for example, had reported in a report as early as May 2021.
Documents posted on Monday – a 348-page transcript of the interrogation conducted by New York investigators and 169 pages of evidence on file, including emails and texts -, however, revealed help on a scale greater than what had been unveiled so far.
During his testimony, he admitted that at a time when prosecutors began publicly denouncing Governor Cuomo in February and March 2021, he was in regular contact with his brother and team.
Challenging the strategy employed to deal with the series of accusations, he even dictated press releases in which he suggested detailed answers to be given.
According to his own testimony, but also according to the texts, Chris Cuomo also used his journalistic sources to obtain information on the accusers.
In March, he said on his current affairs show that he was unable to cover the allegations against his brother.
The presenter known for his direct style apologized a few weeks later, admitting to having made a fault
by advising him, but explaining in the same breath that his family put before his work.
He returned to the subject in August, after a report from Letitia James, who spoke of his involvement, arguing that he was only one brother
which had gave his opinion
.
At the start of the pandemic, Andrew Cuomo was a regular member of the show Cuomo Prime Time. The two brothers’ exchanges, punctuated with humor, had been well received by many viewers, but the conflict of interest had also drawn its fair share of criticism, even internally.
Fallen out of favor after establishing himself as a national political star during the pandemic, Andrew Cuomo had finally resolved to throw in the towel in August.
In a damning report, the New York State Attorney General documented the cases of 11 women who claimed to have been the targets of inappropriate gestures or remarks by Andrew Cuomo.
The latter was indicted last month for a sexual offense.
–
