About midway through a new in-depth report from The Washington Post about New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s refusal to resign amid his sexual harassment scandal comes the revelation that he has been “left with few advisers.” Among those with whom he “continues to confer” is his brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, “according to people familiar with the situation,” the Post reports.
Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office revealed in its official probe that Chris Cuomo had not only advised his brother and testified in the investigation but even drafted his public statements defending his behavior. All of this comes after Chris Cuomo publicly apologized in May for working behind the scenes on his brother’s defense, stating, “It will never happen again.”
At the time, CNN noted that Chris Cuomo “has not been involved in CNN’s extensive coverage of the allegations against Governor Cuomo—on air or behind the scenes“ both because “he could never be objective” and “because he often serves as a sounding board for his brother.” The network went on to state that it was “inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governor’s staff, which Chris acknowledges,” adding, “He will not participate in such conversations going forward.”
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And yet, according to the new report, Chris Cuomo is still acting as a direct adviser to his brother. Last Friday, he announced a “planned” one-week vacation after declining to cover or even mention his brother’s scandal during his 9 p.m. primetime hour all week. The anchor repeatedly hosted Gov. Cuomo on his show during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping define his image as a strong, competent leader in contrast with President Trump.
Reached for comment, a spokesperson for CNN pointed to past statements and added, “As both CNN and Chris have stated publicly, he cannot cover his brother, in part because we certainly expect them to speak. He’s not joined any meetings nor acted in any official capacity since he apologized for doing so. That’s our expectation as we’ve said all along.”
Read it at The Washington Post
