Over 10,000 pages of interviews, emails and text messages released Monday by state Attorney General Letitia James stemming from her office’s investigation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo detail his inner circle’s actions to deflect accusations of sexual misconduct.
Key links in that circle were employed outside of the governor’s office — most prominently the governor’s brother, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, revealed in messages to have used his media-world connections in a bid to blunt scrutiny of his older sibling’s actions.
The new materials, from an investigation culminating in an August report, also show current and former staffers mobilizing to discredit Cuomo’s first two public accusers, Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett. The troves follow a document drop earlier this month that included the governor’s evasive interview with investigators hired by James’ office, as well as testimony from multiple women who alleged harassment.
Cuomo, who has repeatedly denied the harassment accusations, resigned in August under threat of impeachment from the state Legislature. Last month, he was charged with a misdemeanor sex crime in Albany stemming from an allegation he forcibly touched an aide in the Executive Mansion.
The thousands of pages of testimony, conducted under oath, offer a glimpse into how members of the Cuomo administration and some of his closest advisers crafted a public relations strategy to discredit the women who accused him — and used their extensive connections to try to get ahead of the allegations.
The reams of documents that accompany them are a fraction of the material collected by investigators enlisted by James, who is now running for governor.
In mid-August, following the attorney general’s bombshell report, the younger Cuomo assured his CNN viewers that he “tried to do the right thing” and advised his brother to resign as governor, after The Washington Post reported that the TV journalist joined strategy calls with the governor’s advisers.
“I wasn’t in control of anything,” Chris Cuomo told viewers. “I was there to listen and offer my take. And my advice to my brother was simple and consistent — own what you did, tell people what you’ll try to do to be better, be contrite.”
But materials released Monday show the depth of the younger Cuomo’s involvement — which included drafting statements for his brother to deny the alleged sexual misconduct and offering edits and insights on statements crafted by his senior aides.
“As the situation started to accelerate, my brother asked me to be in the loop,” Chris Cuomo told investigators, the transcript of his interview shows.
But text messages between the pair also show DeRosa deploying Chris Cuomo and his media-elite connections to shield his big brother.DeRosa sent requests to the CNN host asking for “intel” on a then-unpublished story by The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow, whose exposes had previously uncovered sexual misconduct by media mogul Harvey Weinstein and former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Chris Cuomo responded 10 minutes later, saying that the story was “not ready for tomorrow.”
And while the younger Cuomo testified under oath that he did not reach out to sources to get information about the complainants or do opposition research on them, text messages, documents and other testimony gathered by investigators show the contrary.
The CNN host told investigators that he would reach “sources — other journalists — to see if they had heard of anybody” who was planning on accusing the governor.
On March 4, Chris Cuomo texted DeRosa to tell her that he had a “lead on the wedding girl” — an apparent reference to Anna Ruch, who accused the governor of grabbing her face and making her feel uncomfortable at a wedding they both attended.
12 comments:
"CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, revealed in messages to have used his media-world connections in a bid to blunt scrutiny of his older sibling’s actions."
Yeah, ok, of course. But all the Democrats use the media to hide their perfidy, spin their yarns, lie about their opponents (Russia Gate, anyone?), and in general gaslight the entire nation 24x7. This is nothing new, but we're supposed to get upset about it now because Cuomo took advantage of it?
I'd like to date Melissa De Rosa too, but they call me Fredo for a reason.
Having to rely on the nitwit kid brother for advice and counsel shows just how small Cuomigula's inner circle was as the walls closed in on his ill-fated regime.
Well that's what happens when you spend your entire career just pissing on people.
Shocking that the Communist News Network is still employing Fredo. Not really they still employ Jeff (the masturbator) Toobin. There hasn't been any any real news on that network in the last 5 years.
Even the LibTURD™ media is calling for Chris dummy's resignation.
all the Democrats use the media to hide their perfidy, spin their yarns, lie about their opponents (Russia Gate, anyone?), and in general gaslight the entire nation 24x7. This is nothing new
What a relief to know that the Republicans do not engage in similar behavior and are not able to use state media (Fox, OAN, Newsmax) to hide their perfidy, etc., etc.
That said, Chris Cuomo should have been put on suspension by CNN many months ago - they shouldn't have waited until today. It was crystal clear that he had a conflict of interest.
Fredo is suspended indefinitely by CNN.
One down.
It baffles me why anyone still watches any of the American propaganda lying, denying, corporate owned media outlets, much less to invest time, faith and hope in any of the politically hired spokes-liars who reinforce the obvious propaganda. I lived in China many years ago, and none of its citizenry paid any attention to the Chinese media because it was long ago firmly established to be openly disseminated propaganda that never came close to responsible journalism and reporting. As usual, the truth will always be a closely held commodity in this, the digital age of nonstop news coverage that has now become an endless allegiance of corporate elitism, intolerant extremism and willful deceit that assaults the senses.
Drunk Finger sniffer Lemon will be next !
@It baffles me why anyone still watches any of the American propaganda lying, denying, corporate owned media outlets,
Watching is one thing, but how about paying for this crap?
Now that's the icing on the cake.
Fredo the commie is done. Next.
They actually fired "Fredo" !
lol, I wish Trump could've been the one to call him on the phone and say, "You're fired"
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