Katie Halper, host of “The Katie Halper Show” podcast, discussed on Hill.TV’s “Rising” reports that former CNN Chris Cuomo was accused of sexually assaulting a woman years ago when he worked at ABC News.
“Well it’s kind of like brother, like brother,” Halper said of the allegations against the former CNN anchor, which come after he reportedly last year advised his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), on how to handle accusations of sexual misconduct made against him.
“It’s sadly, I mean, it’s not surprising. We see a combination of the kind of sexual harassment and aggression and retaliation and entitlement that we saw with Andrew Cuomo,” she added.
Halper noted that the former governor had previously allegedly threatened to “destroy” New York Assemblyman Ron Kim (D) after he criticized the governor over a lack of transparency about nursing home data during COVID-19, which she said showed a potential pattern of aggression.
“This isn’t that surprising, and it makes it all the more understandable that Chris Cuomo was so armed with PR talking points and a strategy for Andrew Cuomo when he was being accused of sexual harassment,” she said of the reported accusation against the former CNN anchor.
Halper’s remarks follow reports that prior to Chris Cuomo’s firing from CNN, the network received a letter from an attorney for a woman who claimed that Chris Cuomo had sexually assaulted her in 2011 while they both worked at ABC News. She alleged that Chris Cuomo badgered her for sex and assaulted her when she declined. The former CNN anchor’s representatives have denied the allegations.
At the end of last year, Chris Cuomo was terminated by CNN after documents were revealed indicating that he had helped his brother during his sexual harassment scandal. Around that time, it was reported that CNN was made aware of a sexual misconduct allegation against Chris Cuomo prior to his firing.
“Based on the report we received regarding Chris’s conduct with his brother’s defense, we had cause to terminate,” a CNN spokesperson told The Hill at the time. “When new allegations came to us this week, we took them seriously, and saw no reason to delay taking immediate action.”
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