CNN suspends Chris Cuomo for role in ex-governor brother’s harassment scandal
- Court documents reveal extent CNN host helped brother Andrew Cuomo amid sexual harassment scandal
- Andrew Cuomo was forced to step down as New York governor in August after multiple claims of harassment
CNN on Tuesday suspended its top news anchor, Chris Cuomo, for his role in defending his brother, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, over sexual harassment allegations.
The cable news channel said in a statement the suspension followed the release of new court documents on Monday.
“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,” CNN said.
Andrew Cuomo was forced to step down as governor in August after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Chris Cuomo did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his suspension.
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Cuomo, who hosts CNN’s most-watched prime time news show, had admitted in May he breached some of the network’s rules in advising his brother how to handle the allegations from a public relations perspective. He also pledged not to report on the case on air.
CNN said on Tuesday that at the time it “appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and job second”, but said the new documents “raise serious questions”.
The documents released by New York Attorney General Letitia James showed text and other messages in which Cuomo sought to use his own sources in the media to find out information on the case and the women involved in it.
A criminal complaint charging Andrew Cuomo with a misdemeanour sex offence was filed on October 29 in a New York court.
On Tuesday, Cuomo’s show was replaced with a second hour anchored by Anderson Cooper. The network’s long-term plan for filling the time slot was not immediately clear.
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The Cuomos are part of a New York political dynasty that began with their father, Mario, serving three terms as governor from 1982 to 1996. Andrew was in his third term before resigning earlier this year, and he burned to beat his father’s record.
Andrew was his father’s most trusted aide and protector during Mario’s first campaign and early years as governor – an example of loyalty that Chris grew up watching even though, at 51, he is more than 13 years younger than his brother.
They frequently describe themselves as best friends.
“He’s my brother and I love him to death no matter what,” Chris Cuomo said in his testimony this past July. “I only got one.”
Additional reporting by Tribune News Service and Associated Press
