The controversial CNN host Chris Cuomo has broken his silence after he was suspended from the network for allegedly downplaying the role he played in helping his disgraced brother Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York, fight the sexual misconduct claims that were made against him earlier this year.
“Hey everybody, it’s Chris Cuomo, let’s get after it, quick note, the obvious, I’ve been suspended from CNN,” Cuomo said on his SiriusXM program on Wednesday, according to Fox News [1].
“You know this already. It hurts to even say it, it’s embarrassing, but I understand it and I understand why some people feel the way they do about what I did,” Cuomo added. “I’ve apologized in the past and I mean it, it’s the last thing I ever wanted to do was compromise any of my colleagues and do anything but help.”
‘I know they have a process that they think is important and I respect that process, so I’m not going to talk about this anymore than that,” Cuomo concluded.
This came one day after CNN announced that Cuomo would be suspended “pending further evaluation” in the wake of court documents related to the New York Attorney General’s investigation into his brother coming out. These documents indicated that Cuomo played a much larger role in helping his brother fight the misconduct claims than he initially let on.
Transcripts show that Cuomo used his media sources to find out more information about the women accusing his brother before they were made public. He also dug around to find stories that negatively portrayed his brother before they were published, warning Andrew’s office about them.
Testimony from Cuomo himself contradict claims he made back in August, when he told his viewers, “I never made calls to the press about my brother’s situation.”
“The New York Attorney General’s office released transcripts and exhibits Monday that shed new light on Chris Cuomo’s involvement in his brother’s defense,” CNN said in a statement. “The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions. When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother’s staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly.”
“But we also appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and job second,” the network added. “However, these documents point to a greater level of involvement in his brother’s efforts than we previously knew. As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation.”
It remains to be seen how this will all play out, and if Cuomo will ever be allowed to resume his career again. If CNN does allow him to return, however, how will any viewers ever trust him again?