A new report by the New York state attorney general on the investigation of sexual harassment allegations brought against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has shed new light on how his brother Chris, a prominent CNN anchor, advised him on how to deal with said accusations.
According to the report, internal documents and communications that were obtained during the investigation apparently show that Chris Cuomo, along with the governor’s advisors, counselled Andrew Cuomo to "express contrition" following the publishing of allegations from Charlotte Bennett, a former aide to the governor.
Chris also apparently proposed the lines that were included in the statement issued by Gov. Cuomo in February in response to the allegations, and that political consultant Lis Smith wrote in one message chain "I don't love that part but Chris/Andrew wanted in" and "Chris wants to make sure we have enough contrition in here."
Screenshot from Appendix III to the Report of Investigation Into Allegations of Sexual Harassment by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
© Photo : State of New York Office of the Attorney General Letitia James
The report also mentions Chris Cuomo among the people whom the Governor and the Executive Chamber “actively consulted” in response to the sexual harassment allegations.
As The Hill points out, the report led many to raise questions regarding Chris Cuomo’s credibility.
Reports about Chris Cuomo coaching his governor brother on how to respond to the latter's sexual misconduct allegations emerged in May, with The Hill pointing out that these reports "led many to raise questions" about Chris’ credibility, and prompted criticism of CNN.
At that time, Chris Cuomo apologised for his "mistake" of getting involved in the issue in question, saying that he “can be objective about just about any topic” but not about his family.