CNN suspended top news anchor Chris Cuomo on Tuesday. This is due to his involvement in the sex scandal of his older brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

 

The news channel said in a statement that the suspension came after new court documents were released Monday in the Andrew Cuomo case. “These documents indicate a greater degree of involvement in his brother’s efforts than we previously knew. As a result, we have indefinitely suspended Chris pending further evaluation,” CNN said.

The new evidence shows that the presenter used media contacts to gather information about women who accused his brother of sexual harassment. He also tried to notify his brother of the upcoming coverage of the scandal. He also helped his brother’s then-staff respond to charges, according to emails and a transcript of his testimony to investigators working for the New York Attorney General (Attorney General).

Chris Cuomo had previously admitted to giving his brother advice when the governor was accused of sexual harassment. The information released on Nov. 29 revealed that that advice went further than initially thought. Andrew Cuomo himself resigned in August to avoid impeachment. In late October, an investigation found that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women and was formally charged with a sex offence. He denies doing anything wrong.

The younger Cuomo is the host of CNN’s most-watched news show and is, therefore, the goldcrest of the station. The news channel’s policy is that he cannot report on news cases involving his brother. However, another CNN employee reported on his brother’s sex scandal.

During the first two months of the New York pandemic last year, Cuomo did interview his brother. That was much appreciated by viewers but went against the guidelines of CNN.

CNN said Tuesday that the station initially “understood that he was in a unique position and that he put his family first and his job second,” but added that the new documents “raise serious questions.”