This Might 15, 2019 file picture reveals Chris Cuomo on the WarnerMedia Upfront in New York. (Photograph by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK --
Chris Cuomo desires an arbitrator to award him US$125 million for his firing from CNN, alleging his bosses knew full effectively how he suggested his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and urged they did the identical themselves.
His submitting searching for arbitration on Wednesday uncovered extra ugliness on the community, the place Cuomo, CNN chief Jeff Zucker and his high deputy, Allison Gollust, have all been ousted previously three months.
Zucker fired Cuomo, host of the community's hottest prime time present, in December after a New York Legal professional Basic's report publicly revealed new particulars about how he helped his brother strategize to battle sexual harassment allegations.
“It needs to be apparent by now that Chris Cuomo didn't mislead CNN about serving to his brother,” mentioned his lawyer, Bryan Freedman. “The truth is, because the restricted data launched from Warner Media's investigation makes clear, CNN's highest-level executives not solely knew about Chris' involvement in serving to his brother but additionally actively assisted the governor, each by means of Chris and immediately themselves.”
There was no remark Wednesday from a consultant for Zucker and Gollust. The spokeswoman, Risa Heller, has denied previously that Gollust, a former press aide to Gov. Cuomo, supplied recommendation or counsel to the governor whereas she labored at CNN.
CNN declined touch upon the submitting.
Through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Chris Cuomo interviewed his huge brother on CNN 9 instances - a short lived carry of the community's coverage that Chris Cuomo not take part in tales regarding the governor.
In his submitting Wednesday, Chris Cuomo mentioned CNN management demanded the interviews although he and his brother had expressed reservations about them.
He mentioned that Zucker and Gollust tried to strengthen the community's ties to his brother and pushed the New York governor to not seem on different networks. He mentioned they requested the governor maintain his day by day briefings at a time CNN's rankings wanted a lift.
“Community requirements had been modified in a calculated determination to spice up rankings,” Freedman mentioned. “When these practices had been referred to as into query, Chris was made the scapegoat.”
Cuomo additionally dragged two former colleagues into his criticism, saying Don Lemon and Jake Tapper had been by no means disciplined for incidents seen as moral lapses - Lemon texting Jussie Smollett when the actor was accused of creating false allegations of a racist assault, and Tapper allegedly providing recommendation to a politician.
Networks requirements had been “a transferring goal,” modified as Zucker and Gollust noticed match, the previous “Cuomo Prime Time” host mentioned within the criticism.
Together with his journalistic integrity “unjustifiably smeared,” Cuomo will discover it tough to search out work in his discipline sooner or later and seeks damages of $125 million, the criticism mentioned.
Zucker resigned beneath strain earlier this 12 months after it was revealed he violated company practices by not disclosing his romance with Gollust. She was compelled out shortly thereafter.
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