Sources told The Washington Post that CNN’s Chris Cuomo helped advise his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and the staff how to handle the sexual harassment allegations against the governor.
At the end of the article, WaPo mentioned officials claimed Chris “played an active role early in the governor’s coronavirus strategy, suggesting providers for the state to secure protective equipment.”
CNN admitted Cuomo participated in the calls. The network will not discipline him.
Nine women accused Gov. Cuomo of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching.
Chris Cuomo, who hosts a 9 PM ET show on CNN, said he would not involve himself in CNN’s coverage of the accusations.
Cuomo, one of the network’s top stars, joined a series of conference calls that included the Democratic governor’s top aide, his communications team, lawyers and a number of outside advisers, according to the people familiar with the conversations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the private sessions.The calls occurred earlier this year, when a growing number of claims that Andrew Cuomo made inappropriate comments or touched women without their permission had escalated into a political crisis for the three-term governor.The cable news anchor encouraged his brother to take a defiant position and not to resign from the governor’s office, the people said. At one point, he used the phrase “cancel culture” as a reason to hold firm in the face of the allegations, two people present on one call said.
Gov. Cuomo’s spokesman Rich Azzo Pardi admitted the governor took part in “a few phone conversations, with friends and advisors giving the governor advice.”
Others said Chris “was simply part of an informal effort to provide support in the face of the harassment allegations.”
One advisor said Andrew “only trusts five people so that’s why Chris is on these calls.
I want to know CNN’s guidelines for its employees because Cuomo’s bosses will not discipline him:
“Chris has not been involved in CNN’s extensive coverage of the allegations against Governor Cuomo — on air or behind the scenes,” the network said in a statement. “In part because, as he has said on his show, he could never be objective. But also because he often serves as a sounding board for his brother.”“However, it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governor’s staff, which Chris acknowledges,” the statement added. “He will not participate in such conversations going forward.”The network said Cuomo will not be disciplined.
I always thought it was weird when Andrew appeared on CNN with Chris. The COVID-19 pandemic made it worse and more people noticed it.
Did anyone laugh when Chris mocked Andrew’s nose with a large Q-tip in May 2020 instead of asking serious questions about the nursing home scandal?
Chris and CNN received a lot of backlash over that interview to the point where Chris said he would distance himself from his brother in the future. As I noted above, Chris reiterated that stance when the allegations came out.
But the closeness between the brothers hit the news again in March. The Albany Times Union reported Andrew prioritized his family and influential people with ties for COVID tests when the pandemic began. The priority list included Chris.
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