Anchor Chris Cuomo has denied a sexual misconduct allegation made against him after CNN fired him for helping to defend his brother, Andrew Cuomo, in the then-governor’s own sexual misconduct investigation.
Cuomo, one of the network’s anchors, was the subject of an investigation, unrelated to the misconduct allegations, by the New York attorney general which concluded that Cuomo had helped his brother, former Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, defend himself against sexual misconduct allegations.
However, following Cuomo’s termination from CNN, an allegation of sexual misconduct came to light.
Following his termination on Saturday, Cuomo denied the sexual misconduct allegation that had this time been made against him. The allegation was first reported by The New York Times.
“These apparently anonymous allegations are not true. To the extent that they were sent to CNN to negate what Chris Cuomo told his audience, he fully stands by his on-air statements about his connection to these issues, both professionally and in a profoundly personal way,” a statement from Cuomo’s representative Steven Goldberg reads.
“If the goal in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr. Cuomo punished by CNN, that may explain his unwarranted termination.”
The allegations were submitted to CNN on Wednesday by attorney Debra S. Katz, who represents the unnamed accuser. Katz said that her client is a former junior colleague of Cuomo and that the situation is unrelated to the former Governor of New York, the Times reported.
The unnamed accuser came forward after hearing Cuomo’s on-air statements in response to the allegations made against his brother, in which Cuomo said he “always cared very deeply about these issues, and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that,” according to a statement from Katz.
Cuomo’s spokesman, Steven Goldberg, told the Times that the “apparently anonymous allegations are not true.”
“To the extent that they were sent to CNN to negate what Chris Cuomo told his audience, he fully stands by his on-air statements about his connection to these issues, both professionally and in a profoundly personal way,” Goldberg said. “If the goal in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr. Cuomo punished by CNN, that may explain his unwanted termination.”
