CNN fires Chris Cuomo for helping brother deal with allegations of sexual misconduct
CNN fired news anchor Chris Cuomo, the network announced Saturday, after “additional information” came to light during an investigation into his efforts to help his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, deal with allegations of sexual misconduct.
Cuomo, who hosted CNN’s most-watched primetime news program, had been suspended Tuesday. In May, he admitted that he had violated some of the cable news network’s rules by advising his brother on how to handle the allegations from a public relations perspective.
Andrew Cuomo, 63, was forced to resign as governor in August after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. He denied doing anything wrong.
In a statement Saturday, CNN said: “Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week pending further evaluation of new information that came to light regarding his involvement in his brother’s defense.”
“We hired a respected law firm to do the review and fired them, effective immediately,” he added. The network did not provide details on the new information.
In a statement on Twitter, Cuomo, 51, said he was disappointed.
“This is not how I want my time on CNN to end, but I already told you why and how I helped my brother,” he said.
In journalism it is considered a violation of ethics to use one’s position to defend a personal cause or to carry out investigations for personal reasons.
Cuomo was initially suspended after New York Attorney General Letitia James posted texts and other messages seeking to use her own media sources to find information about the case and the women involved.
On October 29, a criminal complaint charging Andrew Cuomo with a minor sex offense was filed in a New York court.
Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, gained national fame last year during the Covid-19 outbreak for his reports on how New York was dealing with the pandemic. He often appeared on his brother’s show during that period.
Chris Cuomo, who tested positive for the coronavirus and at one point isolated himself in his basement, had virtually participated in a briefing his brother was conducting for other reporters.
The father of the two brothers, the late Mario Cuomo, also served as governor of New York.
(REUTERS)
