CNN suspended host Chris Cuomo indefinitely on Tuesday after documents revealed he was extensively involved in damage-control efforts for his brother then-New York Gov. ‘Andrew Cuomo’, during a sexual harassment scandal.
A CNN spokeswoman said that transcripts and exhibits released by New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday “shed new light on Chris Cuomo’s involvement in his brother’s defense” and “raise serious questions” for the network, which had not known about the extent of his role.
The CNN spokeswoman continued:
“When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother’s staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly,” the spokeswoman said.
“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.”
A former Andrew Cuomo aide ‘Charlotte Bennett’ demanded that CNN should fire Chris Cuomo.
Bennett said Chris Cuomo had tried to smear her and other women who had accused his brother of sexual harassment.
“Anything short of firing Chris Cuomo reflects a network lacking morals and a backbone,” wrote Bennett in a tweet, which said his “behavior is reprehensible, unprofessional and inexcusable.”
“Does CNN stand by journalistic integrity, or will it simply excuse his actions because Chris Cuomo drives ratings?”
On Monday, New York Attorney General Letitia James, who had commissioned an investigation of Andrew Cuomo earlier this year after a number of women accused him of sexually harassing them, released documents related to Chris Cuomo, who appeared to advise his brother and the governor’s staff about how to deal with the rising number of claims.