CNN
- Chris Cuomo returned to CNN after a scheduled vacation and spoke on-air about his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
- Cuomo said he "tried to do the right thing" as a "brother to a politician in a scandal."
- Cuomo was criticized for advising his brother while simultaneously hosting CNN's "Cuomo Prime Time."
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
CNN host Chris Cuomo returned to the network after a week-long vacation and broke his silence, speaking at length about his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during a segment on Monday night.
"It was a unique situation being a brother to a politician in a scandal and being part of the media," Cuomo said. "I tried to do the right thing, and I just want you all to know that."
Cuomo took a scheduled week-long vacation from hosting his show "Cuomo Prime Time, during which Gov. Cuomo announced his decision to step down. The older Cuomo brother announced on August 10 his intention to resign after an independent investigation by the New York attorney general's office found that he sexually harassed multiple women.
"I never covered my brother's troubles because I obviously have a conflict, and there are rules at CNN about that," Cuomo said during his show on Monday.
"I also said … that a day would come when he would have to be held to account, and I can't do that. I said, point-blank, I can't be objective when it comes to my family. So I never reported on the scandal. And when it happened, I tried to be there for my brother," Cuomo said. "I'm not an adviser. I'm a brother. I wasn't in control of anything. I was there to listen and offer my take."
Cuomo said that he did eventually urge his brother to resign, which was "something (he) never imagined ever having to do."
"There are stories and critics saying all kinds of things about me, many unsupported. But know this - my position has never changed," Cuomo added.
"I never misled anyone about the information I was delivering or not delivering on this program. I never attacked nor encouraged anyone to attack any woman who came forward," he said, denying that he made calls to members of the press about his brother's scandal or attempted to control how CNN covered his family.
The CNN host was criticized after The Washington Post reported in May that he helped his older brother manage his response to an onslaught of sexual harassment allegations with "strategy calls," telling him to "take a defiant stand" and not to resign amid calls from Democrats at the state and congressional level. That same week, Cuomo apologized to his colleagues on-air for putting them "in a bad spot" by coaching his brother through the scandal.
A report on August 10 suggested the younger Cuomo was still advising his brother. When asked about the matter, a representative for CNN referred Insider to previous statements saying the anchor had not taken part in any "official" conversations, as promised. However, The New York Times reported that CNN executives were suggested Cuomo take time off if he wanted to advise his older brother in a formal capacity.
Kathy Hochul, Gov. Cuomo's lieutenant, is set to replace him as governor of New York.