CNN executives said Monday they’re going to have more “conversations” with network host Chris Cuomo in an attempt to obtain “additional clarity” following revelations from a New York attorney general’s report that he was more deeply involved in his brother’s sexual harassment scandal than he previously disclosed.
According to just-released testimony from the NY AG’s probe into former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the “Cuomo Prime Time” host was heavily involved with his brother’s inner circle in an effort to push back on several sexual harassment and misconduct allegations against him. The AG also found that the CNN host relied on media sources regarding the reporting that was being done regarding Andrew Cuomo’s accusers.
“The thousands of pages of additional transcripts and exhibits that were released today by the NY Attorney General deserve a thorough review and consideration,” the network said in a Monday statement.
“We will be having conversations and seeking additional clarity about their significance as they relate to CNN over the next several days,” the statement added.
Among other materials, New York state investigators released text messages that showed Melissa DeRosa, the then-governor’s top aide, asking about “intel” Chris Cuomo obtained on March 15 about Ronan Farrow’s reporting on the sexual allegations, to which the CNN host responded that it was not yet ready to be published. Eventually, Farrow’s report was published March 18 in the New Yorker.
That text alone goes against what Chris Cuomo told CNN viewers in August when he said, “I never made calls to the press about my brother’s situation.”
In addition, the host admitted to state investigators that he gave the governor’s office recommendations regarding his brother’s messaging of how he was handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Please let me help with the prep,” Chris Cuomo said in a text to DeRosa.
Other messages indicated that Chris and DeRosa briefly bickered about a March 9 Albany Times-Union story that revealed a sixth accuser.
“Why didnt you tell him abt potential ATU intv with 6?” Chris wrote.
“I asked u not to say anything until I talked to him,” DeRosa replied.
“That was a day ago,” Cuomo shot back. “Stop hiding s**t.”
According to the revelations, the CNN host also informed his brother’s staff that a friend made an appeal to actor Alec Baldwin to post a rant on Instagram railing at “cancel culture,” which was intended to be in defense of the governor.
“My friend asked him to do it,” wrote Chris Cuomo in another text to DeRosa. “Very close to him.”
But in testimony to state investigators, Chris said he asked Baldwin not to do it.
“I know Alec Baldwin. So does Andrew. I have a very good friend who is named here, who called me said, ‘Alec wants to talk about cancel culture or political correctness,'” the CNN host said.
“I asked him not to. I said, ‘Tell him to stay out of it. It’s not necessary.’ He said, ‘Well, he’s going to do it. And I think it’s a good idea for him to do it. He wants to talk about these things,'” the host added.
The new revelations have led to additional calls for CNN to fire Cuomo.
“If this story is accurate, it describes a series of shocking ethical breaches — fireable offenses at any other news outlet,” Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Noah Schachtman noted online.
If this story is accurate, it describes a series of shocking ethical breaches — fireable offenses at any other news outlet. https://t.co/EqFsllFk9m
— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) November 29, 2021
“Just to be clear, if anyone else on CNN’s roster did this, they’d not only be fired but blacklisted from journalism period,” added MSNBC columnist Eric Michael Garcia.
Just to be clear, if anyone else on CNN's roster did this, they'd not only be fired but blacklisted from journalism period. https://t.co/lw5pyAE4g0
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) November 29, 2021
“It’s hard to imagine any news executive keeping Chris Cuomo on staff after today’s revelations. Then again, as CNN likes to say, ‘THIS is CNN,’” Columbia Journalism School professor Bill Grueskin wrote.
It's hard to imagine any news executive keeping Chris Cuomo on staff after today's revelations.
Then again, as CNN likes to say, "THIS is CNN." https://t.co/f7dkzBz3CX
— Bill Grueskin (@BGrueskin) November 29, 2021
Jon has over 30 years' worth of reporting experience, as well as an author and U.S. Army veteran. He has a BA in political science from Ashford University and an MA in national security studies/intelligence analysis from American Military University.
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