Chris Cuomo Taking 'Pre-Planned' Time off Work as Sexual Harassment Scandal Consumes Governor Brother
CNN host Chris Cuomo is taking time off from work next week as his brother faces widespread calls to resign in the midst of a sexual harassment scandal.
“Every year I take my birthday week off,” Cuomo said on a CNN podcast Monday, The New York Times reported. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’ll be right here at home because I don’t know why I’d go anywhere else than the East End of Long Island during the summer. It’s the most beautiful place in the world.”
He said he will be fishing and making memories with his kids.
Cuomo’s birthday vacation comes as his brother, Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, faces widespread calls for his resignation after an official investigation concluded Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women.
Chris Cuomo has not mentioned his brother or the scandal on his prime-time talk show since the release of New York state Attorney General Letitia James’ report.
The CNN host apologized earlier this year for discussing strategy with Gov. Cuomo’s aides on how to respond to the scandal, calling his actions a “mistake.”
“Chris has not been involved in CNN’s extensive coverage of the allegations against Governor Cuomo — on air or behind the scenes,” CNN told The Washington Post at the time.
“In part because, as he has said on his show, he could never be objective. But also because he often serves as a sounding board for his brother.”
The state attorney general’s office released the long-awaited report Tuesday on an independent investigation into sexual harassment allegations directed at Andrew Cuomo, who is in his third term as New York’s governor.
“Upon completion of our independent investigation into allegations of sexual harassment brought against Governor Andrew Cuomo and the surrounding circumstances, we have reached the conclusion that the Governor sexually harassed a number of State employees,” the report said.
Gov. Cuomo, according to the findings by James’ office, engaged in “unwelcome and unwanted touching,” and “making numerous offensive and sexually suggestive comments.”
Such behavior by the governor “was part of a pattern of behavior that extended to his interactions with others outside of State government,” according to the report.
Cuomo has denied the allegations and indicated after the report’s release that he had no plans to step down, saying the “facts are much different than what has been portrayed.”
One of his accusers has filed a criminal complaint against him, accusing him of cupping her breast and attempting to touch her behind, according to the New York Post.
Lawmakers, including President Joe Biden, have called for the Democratic governor to step down following the report’s release.
“I think he should resign,” Biden said, according to The Washington Post.
“Look, I’m not going to flyspeck this. I’m sure there are some embraces that were totally innocent. But apparently the attorney general decided there were things that weren’t.”
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
