New evidence that went public this Monday (29) indicates that Chris Cuomo, brother of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, was more involved than was previously known in the Democrat’s strategy to respond to allegations of sexual harassment, according to The New York Times.
Unpublished materials — which include copies of text messages and emails, as well as transcribed testimonies from the Democrat’s closest advisers and the former governor, on video — were the basis of the report released in August by the state attorney general, Letitia James, who shows that the Democrat sexually harassed 11 women. A week later, Cuomo resigned.
Many of these advisers gathered at the then governor’s mansion in Albany, New York, in a sort of war council earlier this year, when the Democrat’s fate was first called into question, according to Linda Lacewell, a of the female employees.
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo was present, according to the New York Times, which points to a greater participation than he has admitted or had been released so far.
For his access to various sources inside and outside the American press, the journalist was sued by former adviser Melissa DeRosa —who left her position two days before Cuomo— as she tried to control, in early March, the journalists investigating the stories of harassment. “Never mind,” was his response, according to the American newspaper.
Days later, she wrote him again after learning that a reporter for The New Yorker magazine was about to run a story, asking Chris Cuomo to check the information.
Also in March, the journalist also approached DeRosa via text message, saying he was “panic” at the way his brother’s team was handling the allegations and asked “let me help with the preparations [de Andrew Cuomo]” before writing proposed statements for the then governor to read.
He also told the advisor to trust him and insisted that they stop hiding details. “We’re making mistakes we can’t,” he wrote at one point, according to the New York Times.
Chris Cuomo also sought out the former advisor after a New York Times report about a harassment at a wedding. The journalist wrote to DeRosa saying he had a clue that the woman was acting to damage the former governor’s image — which was not true, he himself admitted to investigators.
To investigators, the CNN anchor insisted that he never manipulated coverage or made suggestions to other journalists to benefit his brother. He told his viewers, in turn, that he had acted only as a brother to “hear and give my advice,” urging the Democrat to tell the truth, whatever it was, and eventually to step down.
Neither Andrew Cuomo, his spokesman or CNN commented on the release of the new evidence, according to the New York Times.
UNDERSTAND THE CASE
Andrew Cuomo has been governor since 2011 of the fourth most populous state in the United States.
On Aug. 3, New York Attorney General Letitia James released the results of a five-month inquiry, which concluded that the politician had sexually harassed 11 women and violated state and federal laws while creating a “climate of fear” in the workplace.
The investigation revealed that the Democrat had grope, kissed and hugged women without consent and made inappropriate comments in conversations with them. Several officials, including President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have come out saying Cuomo should step down.
On leaving office, in a 20-minute speech broadcast live, the Democrat denied he had committed crimes, although he said he accepts “full responsibility” for offending women amid what he characterizes as unsuccessful attempts to be affectionate. The former governor also claimed that the political motivations behind the pressure to resign must be observed.
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