Earlier today, Brian Stelter emphasized the importance of maintaining a calm, reasonable approach to news stories, as opposed to dialing everything up to 11. As many CNN critics were quick to point out, Stelter and his friends at CNN have never really taken that advice before.
But if there’s ever a time to approach a salacious, bombshell story with caution, we have no doubt that CNN will happily start with this one:
CNN’s Chris Cuomo snooped on Ronan Farrow’s reporting on his brother, relayed 'intel' to Andrew Cuomo aide https://t.co/FBb0rlONwO #FoxNews
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) November 29, 2021
Beg your pardon?
NEW: CNN host Chris Cuomo used his sources to get info on brother Andrew Cuomo's accusers. He also engaged with sources to get a read on upcoming stories that took aim at his brother.
"I have a lead on the wedding girl," Cuomo told Melissa DeRosa. https://t.co/KNEYbGXoGu
— Brian Schwartz (@schwartzbCNBC) November 29, 2021
NEW: The new details on Chris Cuomo's role with his brother came out in a fresh batch of documents from the state AG's office.
The CNN anchor was much more involved than previously known.
Who were some of his sources? Journalists themselves, he says. https://t.co/JM307nG4ne— Brian Schwartz (@schwartzbCNBC) November 29, 2021
More from Fox News:
CNN’s Chris Cuomo snooped into the progress of Ronan Farrow’s reporting about his brother Andrew Cuomo and relayed it to the governor’s inner circle, according to a newly released transcript of his testimony to New York state investigators in July.
…
Chris Cuomo admitted to contacting colleagues of Farrow for updates but claimed it was simply “business-as-usual” to employ such methods. Text messages released by state investigators showed top Andrew Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa asking about “intel the CNN anchor had about Farrow’s report on March 15, to which he replied it wasn’t ready for publication. Farrow’s story was eventually published on March 18.
…
Cuomo’s admission contradicts what he told CNN viewers in August when he claimed, “I never made calls to the press about my brother’s situation.”
Wait … so he lied?
And here’s more still from CNBC:
Chris Cuomo was actively in touch with Melissa DeRosa, who was the then-governor’s top aide, about incoming media reports that detailed alleged sexual harassment by Andrew Cuomo, according to exhibits from the Attorney General’s probe and a transcript of his interview with the state’s investigators. He also lobbied to help the governor’s office as it sought to weather the storm of accusations, and he dictated statements for the then-governor to use.
“Please let me help with the prep,” Chris Cuomo said to DeRosa in one message in early March. Then, three days after the New York Times reported in March about how Andrew Cuomo attempted to kiss a woman, Anna Ruch, in an unwanted advance at a wedding, Chris Cuomo texted DeRosa: “I have a lead on the wedding girl.”
…
Chris Cuomo told investigators that he engaged with what he described as “sources” regarding the various allegations against his brother that were described in at least one news article, according to the records. He also said he talked to his sources about yet-to-be-published stories from media outlets.
“I would – when asked, I would reach out to sources, other journalists, to see if they had heard of anybody else coming out,” Cuomo told investigators.
In a text exchange between @ChrisCuomo and top Andrew Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa, the CNN host asks to “please let me help with the prep” of his older brother’s sexual harassment defense and helps devise a PR strategy. pic.twitter.com/XnQ3W2axWE
— Josefa Velásquez (@J__Velasquez) November 29, 2021
Chris Cuomo previously told viewers that he wasn’t an adviser to his older brother, he was there to “listen and offer my take.”
But new texts show he was advising and running interference for the former governor.
“We are making mistakes we can’t afford.” pic.twitter.com/LyVpuVb0x0
— Josefa Velásquez (@J__Velasquez) November 29, 2021
.@ChrisCuomo was giving updates to DeRosa about the state of @RonanFarrow’s story on a former Gov. Cuomo aide who accused him of sexual harassment, using his sources to relay information to the administration, text exchanges show. pic.twitter.com/VTsHt3v4OJ
— Josefa Velásquez (@J__Velasquez) November 29, 2021
Seems newsworthy, doesn’t it? Like something that a Real Journalist like Brian Stelter would want to cover in great detail.
Yo @brianstelter I know you're busy watching Fox News right now. But might need to shut if off and look around the office for a second
— Ian (@IanLysaght) November 29, 2021
If Brian has been watching Fox News, it means he probably heard about this story. So we have no doubt that he actually changed the channel for once. Probably to CNN, where there was no risk of seeing anything about it.
CNN’s Chris Cuomo snooped on Ronan Farrow’s reporting on his brother, relayed 'intel' to Andrew Cuomo aidehttps://t.co/ZHmd9qcNcY
Brian Stelter's reaction: pic.twitter.com/bAGCGLrxRm
— Andrew Kugle (@AndrewJKugle) November 29, 2021
this probably won't make into the @brianstelter newsletter https://t.co/WMuQAepazV
— Dr. Ricardo Harambe (@Richard_Harambe) November 29, 2021
How about Jake Tapper? Surely a respectable journalist like him would give oxygen to this development.
cc @jaketapper https://t.co/3Jl5kAf0g7
— Luke Thompson (@ltthompso) November 29, 2021
Will it be the lead on “The Lead”? Or will it get buried until CNN has gathered all the facts for themselves, and then remain buried?
Adds flesh to a story we already knew. Missing an "and therefore." https://t.co/z91kW36VKI
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) November 29, 2021
"What? That doesn't sound like honest, ethical Chris Cuomo"-literally no one. https://t.co/yRcQVyNqp5
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) November 29, 2021
We’ve known for years that Chris Cuomo is a slimeball. But to read this, well, it’s difficult not to be at least somewhat stunned by his ability to get even slimeballier.
This is absolutely bonkers. How the hell is he still employed? https://t.co/peHKkiqwD8
— John 'pro-norms' Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) November 29, 2021
Great question.
And now he has to be fired https://t.co/3ZgSir905a
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) November 29, 2021
We never thought we’d say this, but we agree with Keith Olbermann.
this is a fireable offense, imo. https://t.co/P01Gr6jbgh
— kaitlin believes taiwan is a country (@thefactualprep) November 29, 2021
I don’t see how it’s tenable for any responsible news organization, at this point, to keep Chris Cuomo aboard. https://t.co/D4Zbq7kGSl
— Greg Greene (@ggreeneva) November 29, 2021
Chris Cuomo shouldn't work for CNN anymore. https://t.co/xVqm05cXoq
— Sean Hackbarth (@seanhackbarth) November 29, 2021
He maybe shouldn’t work for anyone anymore.
Just to be clear, if anyone else on CNN's roster did this, they'd not only be fired but blacklisted from journalism period. https://t.co/lw5pyAE4g0
— Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) November 29, 2021
CNN likes to let their employees get away with some pretty terrible stuff, but any responsible news organization would give Chris Cuomo the boot and never look back.
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