The return of Chris Cuomo to television is the latest reminder that there is little accountability to speak of in corporate news media. Chris was ousted from CNN in late 2021 amidst an ethics investigation that claimed he utilized his position at the cable news juggernaut to advise his brother, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was facing a series of sexual misconduct allegations. Chris used his professional connections to identify what reporters knew about the allegations, and then used that information to consult Andrew on how to respond, all while hosting Andrew on his daily CNN program. In July 2022, Cuomo returned to television to promote his podcast The Chris Cuomo Project. Cuomo appeared on Dan Abrams' show on NewsNation (where Cuomo recently secured a position and I have served as an expert guest) and "Real Time with Bill Maher."
Cuomo's appearances – both of which were with close friends, Maher and Abrams – were clearly an attempt to rebrand himself from unethical propagandist to fearless journalist. Cuomo explained that he was an optimistic person who was not bitter about what had happened at CNN. Looking back on his departure from CNN he said "I feel like I lost a sense of purpose for a while because of how things ended." Cuomo's recollection concealed that he was clearly bitter, so much so that he threatened a lawsuit against CNN and demanded $125 million in restitution for the damages to his reputation.
