Cuomo facing pressure to resign after investigation into sexual harassment allegations
New York Republican Elise Stefanik and Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean react to the investigation into the NY governor on 'Hannity'
CNN's media guru Brian Stelter was forced to address the network's marathon of scandals involving colleague Chris Cuomo and his brother, embattled Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on Tuesday night's installment of his "Reliable Sources" newsletter.
"There's no relationship quite like it in politics or media: A pair of brothers, one governing the fourth biggest state in the country, the other hosting one of the most prominent shows on cable TV. Right now, both men are standing in a very bright spotlight," Stelter wrote.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, D., released an explosive report Tuesday outlining claims from 11 women who accused the governor of sexual harassment. But the report also implicated the "Cuomo Prime Time" anchor, revealing that he was involved in drafting a response to the allegations in February and was a trusted, outside adviser throughout the political crisis.
Stelter took a swipe at his CNN colleague for putting himself in troubling ethical territory.
"Chris Cuomo's role as a member of his brother's inner circle, a role that raises serious questions about journalistic responsibilities and ethics, is also detailed in the report," Stelter wrote. "Chris surely has a lot to say about his brother. But for the time being he is staying silent: He did not mention the scandal on ‘Cuomo Prime Time’ Tuesday night."
Stelter, who has often avoided or downplayed the latest developments in the Cuomo saga, posed the question, "Can Chris Cuomo continue to helm his 9pm show while being connected to one of the biggest stories in politics?" He answered with a "yes" according to CNN management, whom he noted allowed Cuomo to air his show Tuesday night.
According to his newsletter, Stelter could only find CNN staffers who were "supportive" of Cuomo. He did flag a BuzzFeed News report that quoted anonymous employees bashing the network over Chris Cuomo's embarrassing situation.
A spokesperson for CNN declined to further comment on the network's ongoing dilemma to Stelter. CNN also did not respond to Fox News' request for comment on Tuesday.
CNN's broadcasts extensively covered the scandal since James announced her investigation's findings on Tuesday, but they have had far less to say about their colleague's involvement.
Chris Cuomo has caused CNN plenty of headaches this past year, particularly when he's been swept up in the governor's scandals.
It was also revealed this year by The Washington Post that the anchor joined conference calls with top aides to Gov. Cuomo as charges of harassment prompted calls to resign from both sides of the aisle. Sources told the paper the younger Cuomo urged his brother to not step down and even invoked "cancel culture," a talking point the governor used in March.
Chris Cuomo previously apologized to his colleagues for putting them in a "bad spot" and acknowledged he was in a "unique and difficult situation" as the brother of the nation's most prominent governor while being CNN's star anchor, but he insisted "I know where the line is."
CNN'S CHRIS CUOMO AMONG ANDREW CUOMO ADVISERS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO TOXIC HARASSMENT CULTURE: AG REPORT
The ethical lines, however, appeared to be blurred for the Cuomo family as it was also revealed he was given "VIP treatment" from the Cuomo administration and was among the lucky few who received coronavirus testing in the early months of the pandemic. While ordinary New Yorkers struggled to get tested, the governor sent a top state physician to his brother's house in the Hamptons for private examinations, which were prioritized as they were sent to a lab in Albany.
When the governor's scandals first emerged, Cuomo told his viewers that he "obviously" cannot cover his brother, but that wasn't the case last year when he invited the New York Democrat nearly a dozen times for chummy interviews where he praised the "Luv Guv's" leadership during the pandemic. The two of them even performed prop comedy with a giant Q-tip.
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While the "Cuomo Prime Time" host skipped over his brother's latest political woes Tuesday, he managed to make time on his program to go after one of his favorite targets, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, over his response to the Delta coronavirus variant.
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