The CNN anchor addressed his brother's departure from office and sexual harassment allegations.
Chris Cuomo has broken his long-held on-air silence regarding his brother. The CNN anchor addressed Gov. Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment scandal and resignation during Monday's Cuomo Prime Time. Andrew has denied acting inappropriately, but said he would step down to "let government get back to governing."
"I've told you, it's never easy being in this business and coming from a political family, especially now," Chris said at the end of his broadcast. "This situation is unlike anything I could have imagined."
"And yet, I know what matters, at work and at home. Everyone knows you support your family. I know you appreciate and support that," he continued. "But you should also know I never covered my brother's troubles because I obviously have a conflict, and there are rules at CNN about that."
Chris also said that when Andrew's scandals began to emerge, he tried to be there for his brother, but was not "an advisor," just someone who was there to listen and offer his take.
"My advice to my brother was consistent: own what you did, tell people what you'll do to be better, be contrite, and accept that it doesn't matter what you intended, what matters is how your actions and words were perceived," Chris said, adding, "I did urge my brother to resign, when the time came."
Chris also shot down speculation that he was trying to help his brother's situation by misleading his viewers or misreporting the news.
"I never mislead anyone about the information I was delivering or not delivering on this program," Chris said. "I never attacked nor encouraged anyone to attack any woman who came forward."
He also stated that he never tried to influence CNN's coverage of his brother's scandal.
"It was a unique situation being a brother to a politician in a scandal and being part of the media," Chris reiterated. "I tried to do the right thing, and I just want you all to know that."
Andrew announced last Tuesday he would be resigning, effective in 14 days. His resignation came one week after an investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James that found that he sexually harassed 11 women, including staffers and women who did not work for his administration.
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