On Saturday, Chris Cuomo was fired from CNN “effective immediately.”
The decision was unexpected by the many people who figured that the network that kept Jeffrey Toobin despite his… umm… scandal… would ultimately refuse to part ways with its apparent top anchor.
But, apparently, there was more to this story.
Cuomo was suspended after text messages released by the New York attorney general’s office showed Cuomo was actively assisting with his brother’s response to the allegations of sexual misconduct against him and exploiting his media connections to dig up dirt on Andrew’s accusers.
But, according to the statement, during the review, “additional information has come to light,” and “despite the termination, [CNN] will investigate as appropriate.”
Still-employed CNN anchor Brian Stelter, who previously kept his thoughts on Cuomo to himself, decided he was ready to unload.
“Chris Cuomo, one of the most popular anchors at CNN, one of the best-known names in television news, violated journalistic ethics and norms not once or twice, but many times and that’s ultimately what is the result of today’s news, Jim,” Stelter said. “What we didn’t know until tonight, Jim, is that an outside law firm came in and went through the thousands of pages of text messages and sworn testimony that was released back on Monday. So there was clearly something in those documents that was found to be a serious breach of standards and practices.”
Stelter then accused Cuomo of “acting like an unpaid staffer” for his brother. While Stelter claimed he wasn’t aware of what the “additional information” that has “come to light” is, he nevertheless gave us a hint as to what it could be.
“I think this may be a situation where it was death by a thousand cuts, where there were just so many headaches time and time again involving Chris Cuomo that even though many viewers loved ‘Cuomo Prime Time,’ looked forward to his show, he was causing so many headaches for the network and for CNN staffers that ultimately this decision was reached,” Stelter said.
Headaches? Hmmm….That’s interesting.
“I do think, you know, this is a moment where journalistic ethics are at play,” Stelter continued, though I’m not sure where journalistic ethics and CNN have ever crossed paths. “I know there were many CNN staffers very unhappy with the situation, very frustrated by Chris Cuomo.”
What exactly is Stelter talking about here?
Let’s not forget that Chris Cuomo, like his older brother, has been accused of sexual harassment by former ABC executive producer Shelley Ross, who says he touched her inappropriately at a work party in 2005.
“I was at the party with my husband, who sat behind me on an ottoman sipping his Diet Coke as I spoke with work friends. When Mr. Cuomo entered the Upper West Side bar, he walked toward me and greeted me with a strong bear hug while lowering one hand to firmly grab and squeeze the cheek of my buttock,” Ross said.
Has the younger Cuomo brother acted inappropriately with CNN colleagues? Or was it just how he covered his brother on the air? What exactly did he do that caused the network “so many headaches”? Are we just getting started with finding out just how much a creep Chris Cuomo is?
Related: Delightful Cuomo Comeuppance
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