In Wake of Revelations, CNN "Reviewing" Chris Cuomo's Role in Digging Up Dirt on Andrew Cuomo's Accusers and Writing Press Releases For Him, and Then Lying to Viewers About His Role In Andrew's Defense

Supposedly CNN will "review" the new documents and texts showing the "news anchor" acting as press flack and dirt-dealing detective for his groping, harassing, sexually-assaulting brother.

I believe they misspelled "whitewash."

CNN says it will conduct a "thorough review" of documents showing the role prime-time anchor Chris Cuomo played in advising his brother Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York, as the Democrat defended himself from accusations of sexual misconduct.

News of the internal review came hours after the New York attorney general's office released additional documents regarding its investigation of the former governor, who resigned under pressure in August after the state Attorney General Letitia James (D) detailed allegations against him from nearly a dozen women.

...

"We will be having conversations and seeking additional clarity about their significance as they relate to CNN over the next several days," the network said.

Conversations about clarity? Giving him both barrels, huh?

The documents released by the AG show Fredo using his journalistic contacts to collect "intel" for his ass-grabbing brother.

Chris Cuomo also appeared to use his journalistic connections to gather information for the governor's team. He fielded requests from DeRosa for "intel" on a then-unpublished investigative story by New Yorker writer Ronan Farrow and information about a rumor that more accusers were about to come forward on March 7.

"On it," Cuomo responded to the second request. About 40 minutes later, he wrote back, "No one has heard that yet."

Fredo was also using his "journalistic" resources to trash the reputation of an accuser referred to as "the wedding girl," sliming her as a fabulist and liar.

A transcript of an interview with the younger Cuomo showed that at one point the TV host texted Melissa DeRosa, his brother's top aide, to say "I have a lead on the wedding girl". It was a reference to Anna Ruch, a woman who accused Andrew Cuomo of attempting to kiss her at a wedding.

Chris Cuomo told investigators a "source" told him about Ruch and a friend told him that "maybe she had been put up to it".

Fredo pleaded to Andrew to let him help -- and then wrote a statement for the Luv Guv to read, which he read publicly, nearly verbatim.

On another occasion Cuomo reached out to DeRosa to ask if he could help prepare his brother to deliver a public statement addressing the allegations.

"Please let me help with the prep," Chris Cuomo wrote to DeRosa in early March. He went on to draft a statement which he wanted his brother to deliver publicly. The governor ultimately released a statement which matched the one he drafted nearly verbatim.

That article notes at least one instance of Chris Cuomo clearly lying to viewers: He claimed he'd never made phone calls to the media on behalf of his brother.

That's a lie; he called a lot of media people, we now know, to collect "intel" about upcoming stories.

And that's just what we know about.

In one instance, Chris Cuomo divulged to investigators that he reached out to associates of journalist Ronan Farrow to get updates on his preparation of an expose' of the governor's sexual misdeeds. Despite insisting that it was only "business- as-usual" communications, Cuomo's new revelation nonetheless contradicts his earlier on-air claim in which he said: "I never made calls to the press about my brother's situation."

Fredo will claim he meant that he never tried to bully reporters out of reporting on his brother, but that's not what he said. He was denying using any of his journalistic power (to the extent he had it) on behalf of his brother, in any way.

In testimony to the AG, Fredo sought to downplay his role in digging up dirt and strategizing for Andrew -- and claimed convenient losses of memory, claiming his bout with covid must have deleted parts of his brain.

At times, Chris Cuomo appeared to downplay his involvement in his brother's response to the scandal, testifying that he did not pay close attention to some of the discussions he was copied on or that he was not a participant in others.

"I was most often a peripheral figure," he said. "I'm the brother. Yes, I understand the media, but to be clear, everyone in that room understands the media."

But others involved with the effort, including DeRosa and Democratic operative Lis Smith, told investigators in their own testimony that Chris Cuomo played a substantial role in how they managed the crisis.

The younger Cuomo also distanced himself from any insinuation that he assisted with "oppo research" or attempts to smear the governor's accusers, though he tried to distinguish such unsavory tactics with the leaking of one former staffer's personnel file -- a decision in which he played no part, he said.

Chris Cuomo did, however, testify that he was in communication with his brother "at every inflection point," and he would play a role in crafting the language of sensitive public statements issued by the governor or his office. He would also question other top advisers about language choices or the exclusion of certain phrases he felt would have benefitted his brother.

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There were other points when Chris Cuomo said he could not recall specific details, which he partially chalked up to lingering effects from a serious bout with Covid-19 last year and the flurry of activity at the time.

Fredo made these specific representations to his viewers when he was last caught playing PR head to Andrew:

"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. I never made calls to the press about my brother's situation."

We know the second and third statement are false. He definitely reached out to DeRosa about "the wedding girl" possibly having "made it up," and he was making calls to Ronan Farrow's staffers trying to get information about what Farrow knew.

Does CNN care about lying?

Um no they don't.

They don't even care about being caught lying, repeatedly, so what are we all pretending for?

Perhaps Don Lemon is already previewing the conclusions of CNN's "review:" He says this only proves that Fredo Cuomo is one of the kindest men in the world.

Well he didn't mention the revelations -- but he said that, out of the blue, in the wake of the revelations. So connect the dots.

One more bit: You know Katy Tur, the MSNBC dum-dum who voluntarily allowed Keith Olbermann to mount her not once but many times?

The Democrat operative mentioned above, Liz Smith, said in texts how delighted she was that Katy Tur was repeating Liz Smith's Cuomo Spin almost verbatim.

Josefa Velasquez @J___Velasquez

"I'm texting w @KatyTurNBC," advisor Lis Smith wrote to the group. "Katy is saying my spin live. Like verbatim."

Smith did not [want] the public knowing she was advising Cuomo bc it would be bad for her "credibility."

From a Democrat operative's texts to NBC's airwaves with absolutely no editing or fact-checking or calibrating. Just transmitted through the dumb mouth of a former Keith Olbermann slam-piece.

And note-- the Democrat operative considered defending Andrew Cuomo so toxic that she wanted her role defending him to be kept secret.

She thought it would hurt her "credibility." Her credibility as an out-and-proud, openly-partisan political spin merchant.

MSNBC and CNN personnel, on the other hand, had no such qualms.

"Journalists"

Doing the dirty, reputation-shredding jobs that even Democrat operatives don't want to be caught doing.

posted by Ace at 01:33 PM

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