CNN recently suspended Chris Cuomo, which led to speculation that Cuomo’s time at the liberal network was over. However, CNN reporter Brian Stelter suggested that Cuomo would remain on the bench for just a few weeks.
After newly released documents revealed that Cuomo was much more involved in helping his brother, the former governor of New York, calls for the host to be fired grew this week.
CNN suspended Cuomo indefinitely, pending further review of the documents. Many assumed that the host would not be able to recover from the violation of journalist ethics.
Stelter, one of CNN’s pundits, has publicly defended Cuomo at times and wrote a tidbit in this week’s newsletter that quickly raised eyebrows. Oliver Darcy, another CNN reporter, wrote that the network had suspended Cuomo, but only for pending further evaluation. He didn’t go into further detail but added how it is possible for Cuomo to continue to be on the bench for several weeks.
Cuomo could be out of commission for several weeks, making it appear that his absence is a long Christmas vacation. This coincides with speculations that Cuomo would receive the Jeffrey Toobin treatment to heal from scandal-induced absence. Legal analyst Toobin returned to work over the summer following an extended absence due to his Zoom call episode last year.
A spokesperson states that Cuomo’s suspension will stay that way until after a thorough review. They add that the statement could not be clearer.
Stelter said that Cuomo was benched at the moment, but that we’re heading into a holidays season. It’s possible that he will remain on the bench for several more weeks and be back in January.
CNN’s initial statement stated that the New York AG’s transcripts shed light on Chris Cuomo’s involvement in his brother’s defense. They are unsure of the authenticity of these documents and were shocked when Chris confessed everything. They said they appreciated his unique situation and could understand his need to prioritize family and work. These documents show that he was involved in more of his brother’s efforts than we thought. They said they have suspended Chris indefinitely pending further investigation.
Lindsey Boylan accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment and he scolded the network for helping “abuse power” by defending his CNN colleague. Stephen Colbert also interviewed Stelter earlier in the year, calling out Stelter’s conflict of interests.
Stelter, however, admitted that it was an odd conflict and said if you open up the Journalism Ethics book, there’s no page for that. CNN was not happy about this statement.
Stelter claimed that Cuomo followed journalistic boundaries at the time. Colbert said otherwise.
Transcripts of Cuomo’s interview to state investigators showed that the CNN host would reach for media sources to learn more about his brother’s accusers before they made public statements. He also sent text messages indicating that he pestered journalists regarding stories that would make him look bad and then relayed the information on to the governor’s office and aides.
