CNN anchor Chris Cuomo will not face discipline by the network for advising his brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), on how to escape allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Washington Post reported:
Chris Cuomo “joined a series of conference calls that included the Democratic governor’s top aide, his communications team, lawyers and a number of outside advisers” to help “his brother to take a defiant position and not to resign from the governor’s office” by apparently using the phrase “cancel culture.”
CNN issued a statement to WaPo in which they wrote Chris Cuomo “will not be disciplined” for not upholding journalistic standards of integrity:
Chris has not been involved in CNN’s extensive coverage of the allegations against Governor Cuomo — on air or behind the scenes. In part because, as he has said on his show, he could never be objective. But also because he often serves as a sounding board for his brother.
However, it was inappropriate to engage in conversations that included members of the Governor’s staff, which Chris acknowledges. He will not participate in such conversations going forward.
A professor at Columbia School of Journalism and New Yorker staff writer Nicholas Lemann noted Chris Cuomo’s breach of ethics is “not okay.”
“If you are actively advising a politician in trouble while being an on-air host on a news network, that’s not okay,” said Lemann.
As a third accuser came forward to expose the Governor for his alleged sexual offenses publicly, the CNN anchor said on his show March 1 he was “aware of what is going on with my brother… And obviously, I cannot cover it because he is my brother.”
.@ChrisCuomo took part in strategy calls advising his brother, the New York governor, on how to respond to sexual harassment allegations https://t.co/1MfTzackbc
— Jon Nicosia (@NewsPolitics) May 20, 2021
Chris Cuomo continued, “Now, of course CNN has to cover it. They have covered it extensively and they will continue to do so. I have always cared very deeply about these issues, and profoundly so. I just want to tell you that.”
>> @ChrisCuomo at the top of @CuomoPrimeTime tonight: "Obviously I am aware of what is going on with my brother. And obviously I cannot cover it because he is my brother. Now, of course CNN has to cover it. They have covered it extensively and they will continue to do so." pic.twitter.com/G49mZYTG4D
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 2, 2021
Journalists were unhappy with Chris Cuomo’s explanation, tweeting objections without knowing the real gravity of Andrew Cuomo’s activities.
“This is a cop out. He covered his brother when it was good news. He should do it when it’s bad news,” Daily Caller reporter Chuck Ross tweeted.
“So he can cover his brother when he thinks it’s good news but not now. The whole shtick with his brother was wrong then and this is really apparent now,” Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher tweeted.
Washington Free Beacon executive editor Brent Scher tweeted, “Why was @ChrisCuomo allowed to cover his brother’s coronavirus response? This is a very convenient discovery of journalism standards for Fredo and @CNN.”
Since “Fredo’s” television incident, Breitbart News reported March 30 that seven individuals with direct knowledge believe Andrew Cuomo gave preferential coronavirus testing to his immediate family, including his brother, Chris Cuomo.
Due to Andrew Cuomo’s influence, Chris Cuomo reportedly obtained “attention that appeared to go beyond that of others, receiving multiple visits at their Hamptons home from Department of Health physician Eleanor Adams, according to two people familiar with the visits.”
WaPo reported Thursday, “the state doctor who administered tests to Chris Cuomo and his family, Eleanor Adams, recently resigned from her government position, the health department confirmed.
CNN, the most trusted name is news, did not “extensively” cover the Governor’s presumable family favoritism, ignoring the scandal for days after the news broke.
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