Television host Chris Cuomo was suspended indefinitely by CNN on Tuesday after new details emerged about how he used his role as a journalist to help his brother Andrew M. Cuomo, former New York governor, as he faced a wave of violence. allegations of sexual harassment that led him to resign.
Chris Cuomo had previously apologized when it first emerged that he advised his brother's political team, breaking ethical norms of journalism.
But the situation worsened on Monday when New York Attorney General Letitia James revealed thousands of pages of court documents containing details about the collaboration.
Chris Cuomo during The Hollywood Reporter's annual 'The Most Powerful People in Media' event on April 11, 2019 in New York Evan Agostini / Evan Agostini / Invision / AP
The transcripts reveal that the
Cuomo Prime Time
host
offered to
find out how many women would accuse the former governor of sexual harassment by
contacting their sources or other journalists.
He also gave the former governor's team more details about a complaint made by Anna Ruch, who objected to the governor kissing her at a wedding.
"The documents, of which we were not aware prior to their public release, raise serious doubts," CNN said in a statement Tuesday.
When Cuomo first admitted to offering advice to the former governor, it was a break from the news network's rules.
"But we took into account the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and work second," CNN said.
However, these new revelations account for "a higher level of participation" of the presenter in the defense of the former New York governor in his last 18 months in office.
"As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation," the network said.
In his last speech as governor, Andrew Cuomo insists that he did not misbehave with the women who denounced him
Aug. 24, 202100: 35
In dozens of emails and text messages between Chris Cuomo and his brother's inner circle, the journalist repeatedly offered advice.
"
Please let me help,
" he texted an attendee in March, and made efforts to track the status of pending articles in other news outlets, including Politico and The New Yorker, that referred to allegations of sexual harassment against Andrew Cuomo, according to an analysis of court documents from The New York Times.
[They urge the Supreme Court to reopen the case for sexual abuse against Bill Cosby]
At one point, Andrew Cuomo's former assistant, Melissa DeRosa, asked the host if she could verify with her "sources" a rumor that Politico was working on an article that included more allegations.
"I'm on it," Chris Cuomo replied.
New York sheriff says overwhelming evidence of sexual abuse against Andrew Cuomo
Oct. 30, 202100: 28
The CNN host said that helping his brother was a family matter and that it was not inappropriate as he was not working as a journalist directly on Albany political issues at the time.
"I just wanted to be able to help my brother. That's it," he explained in an interview with investigators.
Andrew Cuomo, who resigned on August 10 as governor of New York, has denied wrongdoing.
"I would never intentionally disrespect a woman," he said in his resignation speech.
An independent investigation indicates that the former governor sexually harassed several women, including former state employees and workers.
Two outside attorneys interviewed 179 people over the course of 5 months, whose testimonies made it possible to establish that the Cuomo Administration is a "hostile work environment", "fraught with fear and intimidation."
