CNN suspended host Chris Cuomo on Tuesday after an investigation by the New York attorney general showed that he helped his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, defend himself against sexual misconduct allegations.
The investigation by Attorney General Letitia James raised "serious questions" about Cuomo's conduct, the network said in a statement.
"When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother’s staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly," the statement said. "But we also appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and job second. 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.”
Facing the possibility of impeachment, Andrew Cuomo resigned in August. He has denied wrongdoing.
A representative for Chris Cuomo did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
Cuomo, who has hosted "Cuomo Prime Time" since 2017, has previously said that helping his brother was a family matter and that it was appropriate because he was not directly reporting on Albany at the time.
Documents released Monday revealed that Cuomo offered to help the former governor find out how many women would be accusing him of sexual harassment.
"I would — when asked, I would reach out to sources, other journalists, to see if they had heard of anybody else coming out," Cuomo said, according to the documents.
He also admitted helping his brother respond to allegations from Anna Ruch, who said she felt "uncomfortable and embarrassed" when Andrew Cuomo kissed her at a wedding in 2019.
After texting the governor's top aide with a tip that he had a "lead on the wedding girl," Chris Cuomo said, he talked with his brother's staff about the allegation. He said he was trying to help them understand that the complaint should be taken seriously.
"I am worried about my brother and worried that this is being handled the best way it can," he said of their discussions. "And my feeling was that, to my basic mantra, you need to tell the truth and get in front of these if you have something to say. And if you have something to own, you need to do that as well."
