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CNN suspends Chris Cuomo indefinitely
International news broadcaster CNN has stood down prime time host Chris Cuomo
CNN confirmed on Tuesday that prime time anchor Chris Cuomo has been indefinitely suspended from the network. Cuomo was stood down after new documents released this week revealed he was more ‘intimately involved than previously known’ in assisting his brother – former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, craft a defence amid a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations.
In a statement a CNN spokesperson stated that “The New York Attorney General’s office released transcripts and exhibits Monday that shed new light on Chris Cuomo’s involvement in his brother’s defence.”
“The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions.”
“When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother’s staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly,”
“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.”
Anderson Cooper will anchor the 9PM bulletin on Tuesday, the CNN spokesperson said
The suspension came after significant criticism from people who noted that Chris Cuomo had violated widely accepted journalistic norms.
Inside at the broadcaster, CNN staffers expressed dismay at the anchor’s conduct.
The documents released by New York Attorney General Letitia James included text messages and transcripts of interviews with investigators who led the probe into allegations against the former New York governor.
Documents revealed:
The cache of documents included text messages between Chris Cuomo and Melissa DeRosa, a then-top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, that suggested he was instrumental in working to craft a defense against a flood of sexual misconduct allegations.
According to CNN – Chris Cuomo acknowledged to investigators that he did attempt to learn more about a story by journalist Ronan Farrow.
The anchor defended the practice as conventional.
Following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo as governor of New York in August, Chris Cuomo fronted viewers on CNN, stating that he was “not an advisor,” but “a brother” to the former governor.
He acknowledged that he talked with his brother’s aides and gave his “take” up until his employer directed him to stop doing so in May.