Former aide accuses New York Gov. Cuomo of sexual harassment
FOX News correspondent Bryan Llenas joins 'Special Report' with the details
A former CNN staffer feels the liberal network has shown a clear "double standard" by failing to cover sexual harassment allegations leveled against Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after running wild with misconduct claims against former President Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Steve Krakauer, a former CNN digital producer who now edits the Fourth Watch media newsletter, said patience with damning allegations would be justified if the rules applied to powerful men on both sides of the aisle.
"If the standard for CNN or any network broadcast or cable was ‘we’re going to take an allegation that has no other corroborating sources and we’re going to report it out, find other sources talk to any witnesses before we actually report about it on the air,’ I’m actually not sure that’s a bad standard," Krakauer told Fox News. "The problem though is that this is not the standard."
Former administration aide Lindsey Boylan came forward Wednesday with explosive claims against the already-embattled Democrat, saying Gov. Cuomo asked her to play "strip poker," made a lewd reference to Bill Clinton’s infamous use of cigars, touched her lower back, kissed her on the lips and made her generally uncomfortable.
CNN, MSNBC, ABC’s "World News Tonight," CBS’ "Evening News" and NBC’s "Nightly News" all skipped the bombshell on Wednesday. None of the networks responded when asked by Fox News if the lack of coverage is a result of vetting Boylan’s claims. Critics have assumed that the mainstream media is simply covering for Cuomo, who enjoyed favorable press coverage throughout 2020 for his pandemic response.
GOV. CUOMO ACCUSED OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY FORMER AIDE
Either way, Krakauer feels carefully vetting sexual harassment and assault allegations is appropriate "when it comes to reporting something on the air, on cable or network TV," but the mainstream media has proven that’s not the typical protocol when the accused is a Republican.
"We’ve seen countless incidents that when it comes to allegations against Donald Trump, when it comes to allegations against Brett Kavanaugh, when the allegations come from one direction, they are reported immediately, and in many cases, wall to wall before any further reporting is presented," Krakauer said. "So the issue is the hypocrisy and the double standard, not so much the lack of reporting in and of itself."
When CNN finally covered the story Thursday with a story leading with Cuomo’s denial, critics were quick to point out that Kavanaugh didn’t receive the same treatment.
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Krakauer pointed out that Twitter is "a completely different story" and unverified claims are often shared immediately. However, many mainstream media personalities who are active on social media have been silent about Boylan’s claims.
"I’m kind of shocked that it hasn’t gotten more attention from people that would normally be at least sharing the story," Krakauer said.
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