New York Attorney General Letitia James James announced Tuesday New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo broke the law by sexually harassing eleven women, many of them aides.
My statement on the independent investigation into the alleged sexual harassment claims against Governor Cuomo: pic.twitter.com/DfBC0xaI37
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) August 3, 2021
But Cuomo's sexual harassment scandal isn't the only one detailed in the lengthy report. Documents included in the appendix show CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo was involved in managing the scandal by either writing or editing statements for Governor Cuomo. Chris Cuomo did this while covering his brother on the air, even interviewing him on his primetime show, and while claiming he wasn't involved in the governor's response to allegations.
The subject line of an email sent to Chris Cuomo on February 28, 2021 says, "final statement." The same email shows a forwarded and previously worked on statement sent from Chris Cuomo.
"Questions have been raised about some of my past interactions with people I the office. I spend most of my life at work and colleagues are often also personal friends. I never intended to offend anyone or cause any harm. Sometimes I am playful and make jokes. You have seen me do it at briefings hundreds of times. My only desire is to add some levity and banter to what is a very serious business," the statement says. "I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal and that some of my comments, given my position, made others feel in ways I never intended. I'm sorry and feel deeply embarrassed about that."
"Separately, my office has heard anecdotally that some people have reached out to Ms. Bennett to express displeasure about her coming forward. My message to anyone doing that is you have misjudged what matter to me and my administration and you should stop now, period," the statement continues.
That same day, Governor Cuomo's office released essentially the same statement (bolding is mine).
"Questions have been raised about some of my past interactions with people in the office.
"I never intended to offend anyone or cause any harm. I spend most of my life at work and colleagues are often also personal friends.
"At work sometimes I think I am being playful and make jokes that I think are funny. I do, on occasion, tease people in what I think is a good natured way. I do it in public and in private. You have seen me do it at briefings hundreds of times. I have teased people about their personal lives, their relationships, about getting married or not getting married. I mean no offense and only attempt to add some levity and banter to what is a very serious business.
"I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal and that some of my comments, given my position, made others feel in ways I never intended. I acknowledge some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly sorry about that.
"To be clear I never inappropriately touched anybody and I never propositioned anybody and I never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but these are allegations that New Yorkers deserve answers to.
"That's why I have asked for an outside, independent review that looks at these allegations.
"Separately, my office has heard anecdotally that some people have reached out to Ms. Bennett to express displeasure about her coming forward. My message to anyone doing that is you have misjudged what matters to me and my administration and you should stop now - period."
As the sexual harassment scandal contiued to brew on top of Governor Cuomo's nursing home scandal, Chris Cuomo eventually took a step back and said he "obviously" can't cover his brother.