CNN
- Meghan McCain slammed CNN host Chris Cuomo for "the worst kind of nepotism."
- Cuomo advised his brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on how to respond to sexual harassment claims, investigators found.
- McCain called out Cuomo for not addressing the new revelations on his Tuesday night show.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Meghan McCain, co-host of "The View," excoriated CNN host Chris Cuomo for displaying "the worst kind of nepotism" by not addressing the bombshell sexual harassment revelations against his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
A 165-page report from independent investigators hired by the New York state attorney general's office published Tuesday substantiated 11 women's allegations against the governor, many of which had been previously reported.
It also confirmed previous reporting in The Washington Post and other outlets that Chris Cuomo informally advised his brother on how to respond to the accusations in the spring of 2020.
Chris Cuomo, who hosts "Cuomo Prime Time" at 9 p.m. on CNN, carried on with his Tuesday night show as normal without addressing the findings.
"Do you want to talk about nepotism? Not having to talk about the worst scandal in the country, when it has to do with your brother, and you're hosting CNN: that's nepotism," McCain said on "The View" Wednesday.
"The Cuomo family and CNN are the worst kind of nepotism the media has an example of," she continued. "If it were my brother, if my brother were somehow the governor and he had been accused of this, you are damn straight I'd be talking about it on 'The View' this morning. And it makes all of them cowards."
McCain added: "I hope that Governor Cuomo is either forced out of office or resigns, and that his brother Chris Cuomo has any kind of retribution whatsoever for his show."
-The Recount (@therecount) August 4, 2021
Investigators found that Chris Cuomo and political consultant Jefrey Pollock advised Andrew Cuomo to "express contrition" after Charlotte Bennett, the second woman to publicly accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, came forward in late February.
In a February 28 email obtained by investigators and published in the report, Chris Cuomo drafted remarks for his brother where he advised him to say that he is "playful" and "makes jokes" in response to the harassment accusations.
Chris Cuomo apologized to his viewers in May after the initial reporting about his advising his brother, but has stayed on at CNN, seemingly without facing any kind of punishment.
The situation has frustrated and disappointed CNN staffers who believe Cuomo is receiving unfair special treatment because of his favored status among CNN's top executives, Buzzfeed News reported.
A representative for "Cuomo Prime Time" did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.
McCain, who frequently talks about her father, the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and his influence on her life, shared her own thoughts on nepotism on the show in late July.
"I can only speak for myself, but every single door I've walked in my entire life, people automatically assume you're going to be a lazy, spoiled brat that won't contribute everything because you have famous parents. It's something I have dealt with my entire life," she said, adding, "I no longer care. I think my work and my work ethic speaks for itself."