Chris Cuomo accused of sexual harassment by former ABC colleague
Veteran television journalist Shelley Ross accused CNN anchor Chris Cuomo of sexually harassing her in 2005. 'Outnumbered' panel reacts.
Liberal journalists are asking how Chris Cuomo is still employed by CNN amid new revelations that show how involved he was in shielding his brother during various scandals.
Newly-released testimony from the New York Attorney General's investigation into the now-ousted Gov. Andrew Cuomo shows the "Cuomo Prime Time" host heavily worked with the Democrat's inner circle to combat the sexual misconduct allegations against him, even relying on sources in the media on the reporting that was being done on the governor's accusers.
Text messages released by state investigators showed top Andrew Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa asking about "intel" the CNN anchor had on March 15 about Ronan Farrow's reporting on the scandal, to which he replied it wasn't ready for publication. Farrow's story was eventually published by the New Yorker on March 18.
Cuomo's admission contradicts what he told CNN viewers in August when he claimed, "I never made calls to the press about my brother's situation."
The anchor also admitted to investigators he provided the governor's office advice on his brother's messaging of his handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
CNN’s most popular program in October was the scandal-plagued "Cuomo Prime Time," which averaged 811,000 nightly viewers to finish behind 15 Fox News and seven MSNBC programs. (CNN)
Journalists from liberal news organizations were stunned by the intensity with which the CNN anchor was involved with the governor's office.
"And this is why @CNN should have conducted an internal investigation of all @chriscuomo actions vis-a-vis his brother's scandals. That should have happened months ago," Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple reacted.
"This is an embarrassment to journalism," Los Angeles Times reporter Matt Pearce declared.
"Extremely troubling," Salt Lake Tribune political correspondent Bryan Schott wrote.
"Incredibly unethical," Mississippi Free Press reporter Ashton Pittman similarly tweeted.
"[I]f they're a star, CNN lets them do it," The Week correspondent Ryan Cooper quipped.
CNN’s Chris Cuomo performed prop comedy with his brother New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a widely panned segment in 2020. (CNN)
Many are calling for Cuomo's firing while some are stunned his termination from CNN hasn't already occurred.
"If this story is accurate, it describes a series of shocking ethical breaches — fireable offenses at any other news outlet," Rolling Stone editor-in-chief Noah Schachtman tweeted.
"I'll repeat what I've said before on this subject. This stuff would be a fireable offense in most newsrooms," The Independent's Andrew Feinberg wrote.
CHRIS CUOMO AVOIDS MENTIONING BROTHER'S SEX CRIME CHARGE ON CNN SHOW
"How many second/third/fourth chances is this guy going to get?" The Times-Picayune, The New Orleans Advocate columnist Stephanie Grace wondered.
"Just to be clear, if anyone else on CNN's roster did this, they'd not only be fired but blacklisted from journalism period," MSNBC columnist Eric Michael Garcia insisted.
"amazing that Chris Cuomo still has a cushy job at CNN after flagrantly violating journalistic ethics," LA Times reporter Erin B. Logan swiped the anchor.
"I always thought Chris Cuomo was insufferable on TV, but uh, this seems like a firing-and-never-work-in-the business-again sort of [offense]," Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur wrote.
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"And now he has to be fired," former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann reacted.
"this should be career-ending but I’m guessing it won’t be!" New Republic columnist Natalie Shure predicted.
"It's hard to imagine any news executive keeping Chris Cuomo on staff after today's revelations. Then again, as CNN likes to say, ‘THIS is CNN,’" Columbia Journalism School professor Bill Grueskin similarly tweeted.
CNN did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment but issued a statement saying the transcripts "deserve a thorough review and consideration" and that "We will be having conversations and seeking additional clarity about their significance as they relate to CNN over the next several days."
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.