'Of course CNN has to cover it': Chris Cuomo addresses sexual harassment claims against his brother Gov. Andrew Cuomo



CNN anchor Chris Cuomo addressed the sexual harassment claims against Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), his brother, in a short statement on his show after more accusations surfaced.

Cuomo acknowledged that CNN would have to cover the story but that he could not because of his conflict of interest.

"Before we start tonight, let me say something that I'm sure is very obvious to you who watch my show, and thank you for that," said Cuomo.

"You're straight with me, I'll be straight with you," he added.

"Obviously I am aware of what is going on with my brother. And obviously I cannot cover it because he is my brother. Now, of course CNN has to cover it. They have covered it extensively and they will continue to do so," Cuomo continued.

"I have always cared, very deeply, about these issues, and profoundly so," he concluded. "I just wanted to tell you that, there's a lot of news going on that matters also, so let's get after that."

Here's the brief statement from Chris Cuomo:

>> @ChrisCuomo at the top of @CuomoPrimeTime tonight: "Obviously I am aware of what is going on with my brother. An… https://t.co/xYxXVQDL1h
— Brian Stelter (@Brian Stelter)1614650665.0

The CNN host was besieged online by those pointing out that he didn't abstain from covering his brother before the newest damaging accusations. Some mocked him by reminding him of an embarrassing interview where he held a giant cotton swab to poke fun at his brother.

Guys, guys, you have to understand - he can only cover his brother when he holds the qtip. pic.twitter.com/NmVKCXnjgQ
— RT 💨 (@thereald0tt) March 2, 2021

Gov. Cuomo faced a third accuser on Monday who claimed that he had made unwanted advances at her during a wedding in Sept. 2019. She also was able to produce a photograph capturing their interaction.

The first accusation came from a former aide that said Cuomo had inappropriately touched her and kissed her on the lips without her consent. The second accuser was another former aide who claimed Cuomo had asked her inappropriate questions and appeared to be grooming her for a sexual relationship.

The beleaguered governor has addressed the first two accusers in a statement that denied any inappropriate touching and explained away his allegedly inappropriate comments as harmless "banter" that was misunderstood by the objects of his "playful" jokes.

Earlier on CNN, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio hammered away at the governor and said that if any of the accusations were confirmed that Cuomo would have to step down from the governorship.

Here's how CNN covered the accusations against Cuomo:

Gov. Cuomo accuser says he hasn't taken responsibility for his actionswww.youtube.com

Mayor Bill de Blasio says Gov. Cuomo should resign if harassment allegations are confirmed



New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio excoriated New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over various scandals afflicting his office and opined that he should resign if any were found to be true.

De Blasio made the comments to Jake Tapper on his CNN show Monday.

"We have to, we have to believe women who come forward, and fully investigate, and you know the governor issued a total non-apology earlier, and in effect treated sexual harassment as some kind of laughing matter, it's not a laughing matter, it's not a joke, it's very very serious stuff," said de Blasio.

Cuomo has been accused by a former aide of sexually harassing her in several instances. He has denied the allegation but was hit with another accusation by a second woman on Sunday who said he acted inappropriately with her as well. Also on Sunday de Blasio called for an independent investigation into the allegations against the governor.

De Blasio described the accusations as "grotesque" in his interview with Tapper.

"Think about how grotesque that is," said de Blasio. "I don't know anyone who would do that. This is not acceptable, it wasn't acceptable ever, it's especially not acceptable in 2021 in the United States of America. So it cannot be laughed off, it cannot be minimized."

He went on to hammer away at Cuomo over the unanswered questions about the thousands of deaths after the governor's order to send coronavirus patients to nursing homes for medical care.

'Disqualifying realities'

Tapper asked if Cuomo should resign if any of the scandals are confirmed against Cuomo.

"I don't see how anyone can function as a governor and have the trust of the people and the respect of the people, if they purposely covered up the deaths of thousands of our seniors, our elders, family members, beloved family members who are gone," de Blasio responded.

"If you cover that up or if you did things for reasons that had to do with politics or contributions, and if you've sexually harassed young women in your employment, these are disqualifying realities. How can anyone look the people in the face after that?" he asked.

"If these allegations or charges are proven, there's just no way he can govern," de Blasio concluded.

Here's the video of de Blasio's interview:

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says Gov. Andrew Cuomo should resign if he "purposefully covered up the deaths"… https://t.co/fjpX2X7j8a
— The Lead CNN (@The Lead CNN)1614637617.0

Second former aide accuses Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment



A second woman has come forward to accuse New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. Charlotte Bennett told the New York Times that the Democratic governor of New York asked her inappropriate questions about her sex life.

The 25-year-old former aide claimed that Cuomo sexually harassed her last spring.

"I understood that the governor wanted to sleep with me, and felt horribly uncomfortable and scared," Bennett told the New York Times. "And was wondering how I was going to get out of it and assumed it was the end of my job."

Bennett, who graduated from Hamilton College in 2017, informed Cuomo that she was giving a speech at the school to students about her experience as a survivor of sexual assault.

"The way he was repeating, 'You were raped and abused and attacked and assaulted and betrayed,' over and over again while looking me directly in the eyes was something out of a horror movie," Bennett wrote in a text message to a friend. "It was like he was testing me."

Bennett, who founded a sexual misconduct task force at Hamilton College, alleges that Cuomo was "grooming" her.

Another time while she was alone in Cuomo's office after being asked to take dictation, the governor allegedly asked intimate questions about her personal life. Bennett alleges that Cuomo asked her if she was romantically involved with someone, if she was monogamous in her relationships, and if she had ever had sex with older men.

Bennett texted a friend about the encounter, which she described as "like the most explicit it could be."

She claims that Cuomo told her he was lonely, and said he wanted "a girlfriend, preferably in the Albany area."

"He asked me if I believed if age made a difference in relationships and he also asked me in the same conversation if I had ever been with an older man," Bennett told the New York Times, which published the interview on Saturday night.

Bennett alleges that he noted that "he's fine with anyone above the age of 22."

When Bennett talked about getting a tattoo, she said Cuomo suggested that she get the ink on her buttocks so people couldn't see the tattoo if she wore a dress.

This is the second former aide to accuse Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment in less than a week. Lindsey Boylan accused the governor on Wednesday, claiming that he kissed her on the lips without consent. She claimed that Cuomo harassed her for years, including touching her legs and joking about playing strip poker.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has said that there should be an independent investigation into the accusations against Cuomo.

The Twitter account belonging to Charlotte Bennett retweeted Boylan's Twitter post accusing Cuomo of sexual harassment, and she added, "For those wondering what it's like to work for the Cuomo admin, read @LindseyBoylan's story."

For those wondering what it’s like to work for the Cuomo admin, read @LindseyBoylan’s story. https://t.co/PfWhTJgHuU
— Charlotte Bennett (@Charlotte Bennett)1614184252.0