CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC all avoid on-air coverage of sixth Cuomo accuser
The Dem NY governor was praised by media in early months of COVID pandemic
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There was a television blackout within the mainstream media Tuesday night after it was reported that a sixth accuser has come forward with sexual harassment allegations against Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The Albany-based newspaper Times Union broke the story on Tuesday afternoon that an unnamed staffer alleges that Cuomo touched her without her consent at the Executive Mansion late last year and that her supervisors were recently made aware of the alleged incident.
SIXTH CUOMO ACCUSER SAYS GOVERNOR TOUCHED HER IN THE EXECUTIVE MANSION: REPORT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When asked about the new report during his daily news briefing Tuesday, about an hour after the report was published, Cuomo said he was not yet aware of it.
"As I said last week, this is very simple, I never touched anyone inappropriately," he said. "As I said last week, I never made any inappropriate advances."
While Fox News addressed the new accuser shortly after the Times Union broke its story, CNN and MSNBC refrained from even mentioning Cuomo and his growing political woes through the rest of the day and primetime.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Among those who chose to skip the latest Cuomo developments include CNN news anchors Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer, as well as MSNBC star Rachel Maddow, who has yet to even mention Cuomo over the past 10 weeks since his controversies began in late January, according to Grabien transcripts.
The three evening broadcast networks on ABC, CBS, and NBC also chose to avoid the embattled governor and his sixth accuser despite airing hours after her claims were made public.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The absent coverage of Cuomo's alleged sexual misconduct pales in comparison to the coverage the networks gave to the allegations towards Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 confirmation.
The mainstream media previously hailed Cuomo's "leadership" in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic and did all it could to downplay the nursing home scandal that has grown since last spring.
CNN in particular has been in a difficult position to portray Cuomo in a negative light since he's the big brother of the network's star anchor, Chris Cuomo.
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Rather than cover the Democratic governor objectively, CNN allowed the "Cuomo Prime Time" host to welcome his powerful brother for a series of chummy interviews that lacked in substance but were heavy in fanfare. While the governor's controversial nursing home policy that critics say is responsible for the deaths of thousands of elderly New Yorkers went virtually unmentioned, the CNN anchor made plenty of time for brotherly banter, hyping the governor's presidential prospects, and even prop comedy.
Now, as his brother faces multiple scandals, pending investigations, and calls for his resignation and impeachment, Chris Cuomo says he "obviously" cannot cover the embattled governor despite previously starring in what has been dubbed by critics as CNN's "Cuomo-Cuomo variety hour."