At the conclusion of his 9 p.m. show on Monday, Aug. 16, Cuomo finally broke his silence regarding the sexual harassment allegations that led to his brother’s ousting from office, effective as of Tuesday, Aug. 24.
The younger Cuomo was at the heart of the investigation, as the Attorney General’s report found that he provided guidance to the governor as the harassment allegations from at least 11 women mounted and were proven by independent investigators.
The latest comments on the governor's scandal come after the CNN host enjoyed a pre-planned vacation. Prior to Cuomo announcing his resignation on Tuesday, Aug. 10, his brother had faced scrutiny for largely failing to address the scandal.
“I never covered my brother’s troubles because I obviously have conflict, and there are rules at CNN about that,” Chris Cuomo said. “My position has never changed. I never misled anyone about the information I was delivering or not delivering on this program.”
Chris Cuomo said that his support for his brother drove his advice during the scandal, and that he was simply there to provide his take on the matter in the heat of the AG’s inquiry into the claims.
He also said that he urged the governor to resign, saying “it was something I never imagined having to do."
“I never reported on the scandal,” he said on air. "And when it happened, I tried to be there for my brother. I’m not an adviser, I’m a brother. I wasn’t in control of anything. I was there to listen, offer my take.”
Both Cuomos drew criticism early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, as the governor was a frequent guest on the CNN show, and the two caught flak for their causal banter and back-and-forth conversations.
“I said last year that his appearances on this show would be short-lived,” the younger Cuomo said on Monday night. “And they were. The last was over a year ago, long before any kind of scandal.
“I also said back then that a day would come when he would have to be held to account and I can’t do that.”
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