By Sharon Bernstein
(Reuters) – CNN news anchor Chris Cuomo said Wednesday his suspension from the cable news network over efforts to help his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, respond to allegations of sexual misconduct was “embarrassing” and cited an earlier apology for his actions.
Cuomo, the network’s top news anchor, was suspended indefinitely on Tuesday after documents were published indicating he was more involved than the company had known in advising his brother how to respond to the allegations that ultimately led to Andrew Cuomo’s resignation from the governorship.
“I’ve been suspended from CNN… You know this already,” Cuomo told listeners to a radio show he hosts on SiriusXM. “It hurts to even say it. It’s embarrassing.”
Cuomo went on to say he understood why he was suspended and why colleagues were upset with him.
“It’s the last thing I ever wanted to do was compromise any of my colleagues,” he said.
Cuomo, who hosts CNN’s most-watched prime time news show in the United States, had admitted in May he breached some of the network’s rules in advising his brother how to handle the allegations from a public relations perspective. He also pledged not to report on the case on air.
In journalism it is considered a breach of ethics to use one’s position to advocate for a personal cause or to conduct investigations for personal reasons.
CNN said in a statement on Tuesday that Cuomo’s suspension followed the release of new court documents on Monday.
The documents released by New York Attorney General Letitia James showed texts and other messages in which Chris Cuomo sought to use his own sources in the media to find out information on the case and the women involved in it.
“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,” CNN said.
Andrew Cuomo stepped down as governor of New York in August after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. He has denied any wrongdoing.
A criminal complaint charging Andrew Cuomo with a misdemeanor sex offense was filed on Oct. 29 in a New York court.
(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, California, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
