A sexual misconduct allegation led to the firing of CNN primetime anchor Chris Cuomo, attorney Debra Katz said Sunday.
via: People
In a statement released Sunday, attorney Debra Katz said she contacted the network on Wednesday to report her client’s allegations of sexual misconduct against Cuomo.
“By Friday, I was in discussions with CNN about providing documentary evidence of my client’s allegations and making my client available for an interview with CNN’s outside counsel. Last night, CNN acted promptly on my client’s complaint and fired Mr. Cuomo,” the statement said.
“My client came forward at this time because she felt in sharing her story and related documentation, she could help protect other women,” Katz added, noting that the unidentified woman “will continue to cooperate with CNN’s investigation into her allegations.”
Katz also said, “In the wake of public sexual harassment allegations against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Chris Cuomo looked directly into the camera and told viewers of Cuomo Prime Time, ‘I have always cared very deeply about these issues and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that.'”
She continued, “Subsequently, the Attorney General released jaw-dropping documentary evidence demonstrating that Chris Cuomo played an active role in attempting to smear women whom the Attorney General concluded had made serious allegations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct against the Governor. Hearing the hypocrisy of Chris Cuomo’s on-air words and disgusted by his efforts to try to discredit these women, my client retained counsel to report his serious sexual misconduct against her to CNN.”
Katz said in a statement to The New York Times on Saturday that the allegation against the journalist, which was made by a former junior colleague at another network, was “unrelated to the Gov. Andrew Cuomo matter.” Katz is also the lawyer for Charlotte Bennett, a former aide to Andrew, who accused the former New York governor of sexual harassment in February.
Steven Goldberg, a spokesperson for Chris, denied the allegations made against his client on Sunday in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
“To the extent that they were sent to CNN to negate what Chris Cuomo told his audience, he fully stands by his on-air statements about his connection to these issues, both professionally and in a profoundly personal way. If the goal in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr. Cuomo punished by CNN, that may explain his unwarranted termination,” Goldberg said.
This is going to get messy.
