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CNN fires Chris Cuomo for aiding his brother's defense

CNN fired anchor Chris Cuomo on Dec. 4, 2021, after New York Attorney General documents showed he had used his media contacts to help his brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, respond to sexual harassment allegations.

Dec 4, 2021 ·

What the record shows

Texts and testimony released by the NY Attorney General on Nov. 29, 2021 showed Chris Cuomo in close contact with the governor's top aide, Melissa DeRosa. He offered to help with "prep," sent a draft statement, and passed along what he heard from media sources about accusers and upcoming stories, including Ronan Farrow's. CNN suspended him indefinitely on Nov. 30, 2021 and fired him on Dec. 4 after an outside law firm's review. Cuomo had previously said he was not an official adviser to his brother. In March 2022 he filed a $125 million arbitration demand against CNN.

What the record doesn’t support

Cuomo said he acted as a brother, not a journalist, and told investigators that some of his edits were meant to remove inaccurate denials. Asking other journalists what stories were coming, he said, was routine. The record does not show his advice changed CNN's coverage of the governor. No public outcome of his arbitration claim was found.

Sources

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