Sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace is not something that is going to you fired at this cable news outlet.

You will be protected and defended.

The boss has a long habit of doing it, so it shouldn’t come as a shocker that the alliterate host can do and say what he wants and feel safe from an repercussion.

Chris Cuomo

CNN

Jeff Zucker

Opinion: CNN’s Chris Cuomo scandal is Jeff Zucker’s scandal, too

Update, Nov. 30 at 8:55 p.m.: CNN announced on Tuesday night that it had suspended prime-time host Chris Cuomo based on the documents released by New York Attorney General Letitia James in connection with the investigation into alleged sexual harassment by former New York governor Andrew M. Cuomo. A CNN spokesperson issued this statement:

The New York Attorney General’s office released transcripts and exhibits Monday that shed new light on Chris Cuomo’s involvement in his brother’s defense. The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions. When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother’s staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly. 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.

The move to announce Chris Cuomo’s suspension marked an acceleration of the CNN timetable for considering disciplinary action against its star 9 p.m. anchor: A statement released on Monday by the network indicated that it would be reviewing these matters “over the next several days.”

The publication of the investigative documents — including a 348-page transcript of Chris Cuomo’s testimony regarding his extensive involvement in defending his brother against claims of sexual misconduct, plus a lengthy presentation of exhibits that include text messages and emails — caught CNN flat-footed. Its claim that it wasn’t “privy” to the documents is true, though it masks a considerable failing by network management.


On July 15, CNN host Chris Cuomo testified in an investigation by the New York attorney general into the alleged sexual misconduct of Cuomo’s brother, then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York. “How do I protect my family? How do I help protect him?” said Cuomo during that session. “Probably should have been thinking more about how I protect myself, which just never occurred to me.”

That imperative has certainly occurred to the CNN host by now. In response to the release of investigative documents by New York Attorney General Letitia James, CNN on Monday issued this statement on Chris Cuomo’s wide-ranging efforts to help his brother through the crisis: “The thousands of pages of additional transcripts and exhibits that were released today by the [New York] Attorney General deserve a thorough review and consideration. We will be having conversations and seeking additional clarity about their significance as they relate to CNN over the next several days.” – Source


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