<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cnn">CNN</a> is in secret talks to poach the husband and wife “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/morning-joe">Morning Joe</a>” team from rival liberal news network <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/msnbc">MSNBC</a>, according to a report.
CNN’s already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-ratings-collapse-fox-news-dominates-again">dismal ratings</a> have continued their freefall under new boss Chris Licht, who took over in February for scandalized Jeff Zucker. Licht, who is a former executive producer at MSNBC and also a former CBS News veteran, is reportedly aiming to shore up the morning roster with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-scarborough">Joe Scarborough</a> and Mika Brzezinski, according to <a href="https://radaronline.com/p/cnn-joe-scarborough-mika-brzezinski-poaching-msnbc/">RadarOnline</a>.
“When CBS hired Chris, he wanted to hire Joe and Mika to head up his morning show instead of Gayle King,” a source told the outlet. “Joe and Mika were into it, but they couldn’t get out of their deal with NBC. Now Chris is pulling the same trick again as he starts his new job at CNN hoping this time, he will be able to pull it off.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pouring gas on a burning building Alert 🚨 
CNN&#39;s new boss Chris Licht is wooing Morning Joe stars Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski to join the ailing network as he prepares to wield ax to &#39;fix morning and primetime programing&#39; <a href="https://t.co/sL1GjL5Exn">https://t.co/sL1GjL5Exn</a>
&mdash; 👻Ghosted Hippie Always Knew 👻 (@GhostedHippie) <a href="https://twitter.com/GhostedHippie/status/1549972761791045632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida who has become increasingly liberal, and Brzezinski, the daughter of President Carter’s national security adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, have teamed up for their show since 2007. Although both were married to other people when the show began, they later left their spouses and were married in 2018.
Although its ratings are dwarfed by “Fox &amp; Friends,” “Morning Joe,” which airs from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, is considered influential among Beltway liberals.
It is not known how much NBC pays the couple, but <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2013/10/11/joe-scarborough-divorce-settlement-salary-morning-joe-msnbc/">Scarborough reportedly earned $5 million per year</a> from the show nearly a decade ago, according to records from his divorce.
Peeling the duo away from MSNBC won’t be easy, a source told RadarOnline.
&#8220;It is unlikely MSNBC will let them out of their contract, but Chris is a patient man,” the source said.
Licht was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-cnn-boss-doesnt-want-staffers-saying-the-big-lie-report">appointed president</a> of CNN in February, after longtime chief Jeff Zucker was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-blasted-after-zucker-resigns-over-relationship-with-colleague-industry-insiders-suggest-more-to-story">ousted for hiding an affair</a> he had with a woman he hired and repeatedly promoted. Zucker and his paramour were also <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/02/the-zucker-cuomo-saga-just-got-even-messier">accused of scheming</a> with then-Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) to burnish his image as a leader during the COVID pandemic. But their efforts backfired spectacularly when Cuomo’s brother and CNN anchor Chris Cuomo became entangled in his brother’s sexual harassment scandal. The network <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-cuomo-was-fired-after-cnn-learned-of-alleged-sex-assault-during-lunch-in-his-office-report">fired him</a>, and he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-cuomo-demands-125-million-from-cnn-cuomos-journalistic-integrity-unjustifiably-smeared">sued for $125 million</a>.
Licht has signaled he wants to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-might-dump-overtly-partisan-talent-report">revamp the network and get rid</a> of its most hyper-partisan, liberal talent. Pressure to get back to CNN’s roots as a bastion of straight news is believed to be coming from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-would-like-to-see-cnn-evolve-back-to-doing-news-actually-have-journalists-incoming-top-shareholder">John Malone</a>, a key shareholder in CNN’s parent company.
“We will reimagine our morning show leveraging our correspondents and unmatched resources in the U.S. and around the world to provide news that viewers need to know as they start their day,” Licht said.

Joe Scarborough

CNN In Secret Talks To Poach Star Couple From MSNBC: Report

CNN In Secret Talks To Poach 'Morning Joe' From MSNBC: Report

Jeff Zucker

Mika Brzezinski

Morning Joe

MSNBC

CNN may be preparing to offload some of its more overtly partisan talent in a renewed effort to promote itself as a straight and unbiased news network.
According to a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/07/cnn-evaluating-partisan-talent-chris-licht">report</a> from Axios, new CNN chief <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/chris-wallace-brian-williams-may-replace-chris-cuomo-at-cnn-report/">Chris Licht</a> is &#8220;evaluating&#8221; the network&#8217;s stable of on-air talent, ostensibly to determine who will fit with programming tailored to be less partisan.
&#8220;CNN&#8217;s new boss, Chris Licht, is evaluating whether personalities and programming that grew polarizing during the Trump era can adapt to the network&#8217;s new priority to be less partisan,&#8221; Axios reported, adding that sources indicated jobs could be on the chopping block in the wake of those evaluations. &#8220;If talent cannot adjust to a less partisan tone and strategy, they could be ousted.&#8221;
Axios also noted that Licht appears ready to give current employees and on-air talent some room to prove that they can adapt to a less combative presentation, encouraging them to engage in thoughtful interviews with people on both sides of the aisle — something that got progressively rarer leading up to and during former President Donald Trump&#8217;s time in office.
And while former CNN head <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/how-jeff-zucker-turned-cnn-into-a-cult/">Jeff Zucker</a> — who <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-cnns-jeff-zucker-resigns-due-to-undisclosed-consensual-relationship-with-colleague/">resigned</a> after admitting to an undisclosed relationship — appeared to encourage a more partisan presentation, Licht has made it clear that he sees the network going in a completely <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/cnn-announces-new-programming-plan-and-elon-musk-is-already-on-board/">different direction</a>.
Toward that end, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/05/business/media/cnn-chris-licht.html">reported</a> on Sunday, the network plans to do away with snarky, partisan chyrons — and a much lighter touch on the &#8220;Breaking News&#8221; banner.
&#8220;CNN’s ubiquitous ‘Breaking News’ banner is gone, now reserved for instances of truly urgent events,&#8221; the NYT reported. &#8220;Snarky onscreen captions … are discouraged. Political shows are trying to book more conservative voices, and producers have been urged to ignore Twitter backlash from the far right and the far left.&#8221;
The Times also noted that Licht, whose last job was with &#8220;The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,&#8221; had jumped from the frying pan into the fire when he moved from managing a show that employed approximately 200 people to a major global network that employed around 4000 — and the report claimed that &#8220;some CNN journalists say they wonder if he can navigate a sprawling, unwieldy global news network past what has been a no good, very bad year.&#8221;
In addition to Zucker&#8217;s departure — which was followed closely by that of his paramour, Allison Gollust — CNN is fresh off the failed launch of fledgling streaming service CNN+. The network also fired one of its top prime time hosts — Chris Cuomo — amid allegations of sexual misconduct and the admission that he had advised his brother, former Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), while he dealt with his own sexual harassment and assault allegations.

CNN Headquarters In Atlanta

CNN Might Dump Overtly Partisan Talent: Report

CNN's Chris Licht Might Dump Overtly Partisan Talent: Axios Report

Axios

Chris Cuomo

Donald Trump

Former &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; anchor Chris Wallace has reportedly landed on his feet — and back in the anchor chair — after the network&#8217;s fledgling streaming service CNN+ failed to launch.
According to a report published Wednesday by <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/18/chris-wallace-new-show-cnn">Axios</a>, Wallace is set to anchor a Sunday evening show on CNN. Two sources reportedly informed the outlet that Wallace, who was hosting an interview-based show four days a week prior to the rapid collapse of CNN+, will move back to a weekly show with the cable news giant. The report did not indicate what the format of Wallace&#8217;s new show would be.
Wallace initially <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/i-want-to-try-something-new-chris-wallace-is-leaving-fox-news-sunday-effective-immediately/">left Fox</a> in December, saying that he wanted to try something new after nearly two decades at that network.
&#8220;After 18 years, this is my final ‘Fox News Sunday,&#8217;” <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/chris-wallace-grills-jen-psaki-you-are-being-less-transparent-than-the-trump-administration/">Wallace</a> told his viewers on December 12. &#8220;It is the last time, and I say this with real sadness, we will meet like this &#8230; There’s a lot you can do on Sunday mornings. The fact that you’ve chosen to spend this hour with us is something I cherish. But after 18 years, I have decided to leave FOX. I want to try something new, to go beyond politics, to all of the things I’m interested in.&#8221;
Wallace later claimed that he had <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/unsustainable-chris-wallace-reveals-why-he-had-to-leave-fox-news/">ultimately decided</a> to leave Fox after the fallout from the 202o election, telling the New York Times, &#8220;I’m fine with opinion: conservative opinion, liberal opinion. But when people start to question the truth — Who won the 2020 election? Was Jan. 6 an insurrection? — I found that unsustainable. I spent a lot of 2021 looking to see if there was a different place for me to do my job.&#8221;
&#8220;Before, I found it was an environment in which I could do my job and feel good about my involvement at Fox,&#8221; Wallace continued. &#8220;And since November of 2020, that just became unsustainable, increasingly unsustainable as time went on.&#8221;
Within days after announcing his exit from Fox, Wallace had confirmed he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ive-been-a-victim-chris-wallace-says-hes-in-good-shape-despite-cnn-implosion">going to CNN</a>, inking a multimillion-dollar deal to create a new show for the streaming service that had not yet launched.
But massive personnel shake-ups at CNN — up to and including the sudden resignation of former network chief Jeff Zucker and his paramour Allison Gollust — left the network in disarray heading into both the CNN+ launch and a planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Donald Trump And Joe Biden Participate In First Presidential Debate

Chris Wallace Lands Sunday Show On CNN: Report

Chris Wallace

Fox News Sunday

Warner Bros

Chris Cuomo, who spent years as the highest-rated anchor on low-rated CNN’s prime time roster, has filed a bombshell legal complaint, exposing numerous previously unknown scandals involving his former employer.
If Cuomo’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-cuomo-demands-125-million-from-cnn-cuomos-journalistic-integrity-unjustifiably-smeared">$125 million</a> arbitration request is to be believed, even the most cynical view of how CNN executives deliberately skewed the network’s political coverage against Republicans and in favor of Democrats, flouted journalistic ethics, and cozied up to powerful politicos for their own benefit is too kind.
Here are a few of the most damning allegations Chris Cuomo makes in his latest legal filings, which were obtained and <a href="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cuomo-CNN-Arbitration-Demand-1.pdf">published</a> by Deadline.
1. CNN’s leaders advised then-Governor Andrew Cuomo — and gave him advice on &#8216;responding&#8217; to Trump 
Chris Cuomo first encountered real turbulence with CNN leaders when The Washington Post reported that he advised his brother, then New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D), on how to handle numerous allegations of sexual harassment. The network later suspended him on the grounds that his role exceeded anything he disclosed. But Cuomo maintains not only that the network knew all about his role in helping his brother, but that the network brass advised Governor Cuomo themselves.
“Until May 2021, CNN never asked Cuomo to stop or curtail his efforts to assist his brother through the sexual harassment allegations, despite being fully aware of Cuomo’s role assisting him,” the filing says — an allegation it makes numerous times.
But then comes a new wrinkle according to Cuomo&#8217;s filing: Then-CNN President Jeff Zucker and his paramour Allison Gollust — Governor Cuomo’s former communications director — gave Governor Cuomo advice regarding his handling of COVID-19.
“Zucker and Gollust acted as advisors to Gov. Cuomo during this time by providing him with talking points and strategies for responding to statements made by then-President Donald Trump,” says Chris Cuomo’s legal brief.
Furthermore, Cuomo alleges that Gollust also gave advice to the governor about how to respond to the sexual harassment allegations. He cited a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/cnn-probe-finds-allison-gollust-assisted-chris-cuomo-in-his-efforts-to-help-andrew-cuomo-11645829880">Wall Street Journal article</a> that notes Gollust “sent Chris Cuomo a sentence she said she would have added to a statement that Andrew Cuomo had issued earlier that day in February of last year, after an accuser went public.”
Gollust also asked Cuomo “whether one of Gov. Cuomo’s accusers had ever said publicly that Gov. Cuomo had never touched her, saying that CNN should report on such a statement if it had been made,” Cuomo’s legal complaint says.
Gollust strongly denied the charges through spokeswoman Risa Heller. “Allison Gollust never offered advice or counsel to Andrew Cuomo. Period,” Heller told WSJ. “If she wanted to advise the governor, she could have called or texted him directly (she didn’t).” Heller went on to call Gollust’s texts “mundane” and “innocuous” while dismissing the accusations as “farfetched.”
2. CNN arranged the questions Andrew Cuomo would be asked on the air 
Allison Gollust “agreed to pre-arrange questions for Gov. Cuomo in advance of interviews,” Chris Cuomo states. Then-Governor Cuomo had a longstanding relationship with Gollust, whom he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/former-cnn-exec-gollust-gleefully-texted-andrew-cuomo-trump">hired</a> as his communications director between her stints working with Zucker at NBC and CNN (October 2012 until March 2013). The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/18/business/media/allison-gollust-cnn-cuomo.html">reported</a> that before a March 2020 CNN interview:
<blockquote>Governor Cuomo had told a senior CNN executive, Allison Gollust, about subjects that he’d like to be asked about on air, according to several people familiar with the matter. Ms. Gollust, CNN’s longtime chief of communications and marketing and a former top aide of the governor, passed along the topics to CNN producers and then reported back to the governor.
“Done,” she wrote.</blockquote>
The newspaper of record noted it is “unusual” for a senior producer to be involved in this stage of the interview process, especially one involving a former employer. Even Gollust seemed to find the arrangement unusual, texting the governor, “I’m pretty sure I stopped being your publicist 8 years ago, but apparently I still am.” But Rolling Stone reported that Gollust praised Governor Cuomo after a CNN interview, “Well done . . . Cuomo-W. Trump-L.”
The interlude adds fuel to the notion that Gollust and Governor Cuomo’s relationship amounted to a never-ending quid pro quo. For instance, Gollust’s spokeswoman acknowledges that Gollust asked the governor to help a friend get past bureaucratic red tape in order to open a business.
Gollust once texted Cuomo, “I never ask you for favors, but . . .” Cuomo replied, “Yes, u do ask me for favors, and that’s okay. It’s mutual.” That favoritism apparently extended to CNN interviews. “The network brass’s interactions with the governor represented <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-perpetrated-the-worst-kind-of-journalistic-lapse-in-bashing-trump-promoting-andrew-cuomo-experts">the worst kind of journalistic lapse</a>,” wrote journalist Tatiana Siegel.
3. CNN told Chris Cuomo to conduct his &#8216;comedic&#8217; interviews with his brother
One of Chris Cuomo’s most controversial on-air interactions came during a series of interviews he conducted with his brother during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also the height of Governor Cuomo’s popularity, as the media built him up as a competent Democratic alternative to President Donald Trump. But Chris Cuomo says he never wanted to perform any of the interviews; he and his brother were forced.
“Despite Cuomo’s and Gov. Cuomo’s expressed reservations, CNN demanded through its leadership that Cuomo interview Gov. Cuomo frequently.” That request came from Allison Gollust, who “communicated directly with Gov. Cuomo to tell him how ‘important’ it was to Zucker that Gov. Cuomo appear on Cuomo’s show,” alleges Chris Cuomo.
The younger Cuomo says he and his brother dutifully complied with the network’s order to appear together on camera as frequently as possible. “Indeed, between March 19, 2020 and June 24, 2020, Gov. Cuomo appeared on Cuomo’s program nine times. These interviews became wildly popular among viewers, and CNN benefited enormously from the resulting ratings bonanza,” the complaint says.
The two brothers gave CNN viewers a rehash of the classic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuyLbp1kQxY">Smothers Brothers’ sibling rivalry act</a> from the 1960s. Chris also engaged in prop comedy with multiple oversized Q-tips supposedly being used to test his brother for COVID-19. For his part, the governor yucked it up, calling himself “a cool dude in a loose mood.”
A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/05/business/media/brothers-cuomo-andrew-chris.html?smid=emshare.">New York Times article</a> of that era described Zucker as moving news in the direction of “reality television.” But NowThis News at the time <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHGhAIEqJcg">called</a> the brothers “America&#8217;s Favorite TV Family.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Best of The Cuomo Brothers: America&#039;s Favorite TV Family During Coronavirus | NowThis" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vHGhAIEqJcg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
4. CNN brass hinted they would fire Chris Cuomo if Andrew Cuomo appeared on other networks
Jeffrey Zucker and Allison Gollust supposedly used Chris Cuomo’s employment as a bargaining chip to keep Governor Andrew Cuomo from appearing on other networks — and to maximize the then-popular governor’s appearances on CNN. “CNN, through executives Zucker and Zucker’s second-in- command, Allison Gollust … made a concerted effort to cement and strengthen the network’s ties to Gov. Cuomo and his administration and control his media presence for CNN’s exclusive benefit. CNN pushed Gov. Cuomo not to appear on other networks, intimating that not honoring CNN’s request might threaten [Chris] Cuomo’s professional standing with the network,” the legal complaint says.
The network also allegedly “requested that Gov. Cuomo hold his daily COVID-19 press conference at a time that was most suitable for the network based on its program schedule and when its ratings were weakest.” The time when CNN’s “ratings were weakest” should have given Governor Cuomo a significant range of time to choose from.
5. CNN execs used their relationship with Governor Cuomo to get COVID-19 tests
An early Chris Cuomo scandal occurred when he was accused of gaining access to highly sought-after COVID-19 rapid tests thanks to his family connections to the governor. It later emerged that Chris Cuomo was offered <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-cuomo-was-offered-early-access-to-covid-19-treatment">human blood</a> plasma from a donor who had recovered from COVID-19, an experimental treatment before the vaccine became available. But Chris Cuomo’s legal filings say CNN network executives exploited their proximity to Governor Andrew Cuomo for the same purpose. “Notably, for years CNN did not discipline Gollust or Zucker for their egregious violations of CNN policy, including both Gollust and Zucker using their privileged access to Gov. Cuomo to secure COVID tests,” Cuomo says.
6. CNN has no journalistic ethics
Chris Cuomo’s arbitration complaint establishes numerous allegations that CNN had no real journalistic code of ethics. Zucker selectively applied rules to shield favored commentators and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-fires-rick-santorum-after-he-claimed-founding-fathers-birthed-a-nation-from-nothing">punish disfavored employees</a> (especially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rick-santorums-firing-proves-cnn-doesnt-want-to-hear-anyone-who-sounds-like-you">political conservatives</a>):
<blockquote>CNN has a long-established pattern and practice of selectively enforcing its policies based on cynical calculations of public perception. Indeed, CNN fostered a culture in which ‘exceptions’ to the network’s standards and practices were routinely sanctioned, and that culture began at the top with Zucker and Gollust. As long as CNN’s ratings would not be hurt, Zucker and Gollust were more than willing to overlook major transgressions by CNN personalities such as Don Lemon and Jake Tapper, or even to engage in blatant misconduct themselves.</blockquote>
Cuomo notes that actor Jussie Smollett said during his trial that CNN&#8217;s Don Lemon told him that Chicago police did not believe his tale that angry men attacked him and threw a noose around his neck as they shouted, “This is MAGA country!” Cuomo mentions CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin’s restoration at the network following his “sordid act of sexual harassment.”
Interestingly, Chris Cuomo cites Fox News as a — to coin a phrase — reliable source when it comes to the activities of his former CNN colleagues. “Fox News reported on September 10, 2020 that CNN anchor Jake Tapper had repeatedly urged Congressional candidate Sean Parnell not to run against Rep. Conor Lamb, but to run in a ‘safer,’ more heavily Republican district,” Cuomo’s complaint notes, adding that the network took no action against Tapper.
This author reported allegations that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-cnn-employee-says-outlet-has-no-real-ethical-code">CNN has no real ethical code</a> and tilted its journalistic ethics as it saw fit. “You won’t see any rules that are etched in stone so that a violation could be a firing offense,” said Steve Holmes, who spent a decade at CNN before retiring during Zucker’s tenure at CNN. “They can’t say that [Cuomo]’s violated any written policies because there aren’t any, period.” Cuomo essentially endorsed that view, saying, “CNN fostered a culture in which the network’s standards and practices were a constantly moving target, modified at CNN executives’ discretion as they saw fit.”
7. Chris Cuomo thinks he has journalistic integrity
Chris Cuomo’s phenomenal $125 million figure comes, because he’s seeking the remaining $15 million due to him under the terms of his contract, plus $110 million in damages against CNN. The reason? From now on, no one will take him seriously as a journalist.
“Cuomo has had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-cuomo-demands-125-million-from-cnn-cuomos-journalistic-integrity-unjustifiably-smeared">his journalistic integrity unjustifiably smeared</a>,” his legal complaint stated. “As a direct result of CNN’s calculated efforts to tar and feather him, Cuomo is now untouchable in the world of broadcast journalism, effectively bringing his storied career to a premature end and costing him decades of earnings, exceeding $125 million in consequential damages.”
The use of the word “untouchable” may be ironic. But so, too, are his claims of journalism. In 2020, Tucker Carlson released a tape of Chris Cuomo coaching Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen on how to answer questions at the network. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-releases-bombshell-tape-of-cuomo-coaching-cohen-on-how-to-answer-interview-questions">reported</a> Carlson’s summary of the tape:
<blockquote>“Michael Cohen was worried about doing the interview because he knew he’d get questions about the payments he made to Stormy Daniels. He wanted Chris Cuomo to tell him what to say,” Carlson continued. “Now on TV, Cuomo might’ve launched into a lecture about how it’s wrong to send money to strippers, but in private, he skipped that lecture.”
“‘You will be asked that,’ Chris Cuomo told Michael Cohen, and you can say, ‘I did it for him, for Donald Trump. My relationship has always been for him. I’ve always said I don’t speak for the campaign, I speak for him as his attorney,&#8217;” Carlson continued. “Cuomo went on to elaborate, ‘And to the question of motive,’ he told Cohen, ‘the response would have to be, you can speculate as to why you think I did it all day long, but the only answer is my answer, and I just told you why I did it. You don’t get to speculate because if you can’t prove that I got paid back by Trump or the campaign, it is slander and defamation for you to say that I did.&#8217;”</blockquote>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Tucker uncovers more audio between CNN&#039;s Chris Cuomo and Michael Cohen" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kKns1YmjQzc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Reflections
All of the foregoing is offered with the caveat that this comes from Chris Cuomo’s legal complaint. It may well be false; given Cuomo’s journalistic standards, one would hardly be surprised. But this reporter has included the few responses the subjects have offered; for the most part, they have refused public comment. And the discerning viewer needed no internal document to know something was rotten during Zucker’s highly contentious tenure as network president, which saw the fall of CNN’s ratings eclipsed only by its journalistic integrity, balance, and reliability — a fall Cuomo’s legal brief confirms in every particular.

The 7 Most Underreported CNN Scandals In Chris Cuomo’s Legal Complaint

Andrew Cuomo

Media Bias

Readers Pass

Former CNN host Chris Cuomo is out to settle scores and collect millions of dollars in damages. On Wednesday, he entered a complaint against his former network, demanding $125 million — 15 million in lost salary and $110 million in further reparations and damages. The network’s former top-rated personality said the circumstances of his firing last December left his “journalistic integrity unjustifiably smeared.”
He also alleges that CNN executives Jeff Zucker and Allison Gollust knew about the full extent of his role advising then-<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fall-of-andrew-cuomo-how-an-empire-built-on-fear-came-crashing-down">New York Governor Andrew Cuomo</a> (D), and even “acted as advisors to Gov. Cuomo during this time” themselves. Chris Cuomo says after his separation from the network, CNN personalities — including Zucker, Brian Stelter, Don Lemon, Jake Tapper, and Anderson Cooper — “openly disparaged Cuomo in violation” of his 2019 contract.
Cuomo filed a demand for arbitration that says the network owes him $14,406,250 in base pay for the remaining 19 months left on his contract, not including bonuses. The <a href="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cuomo-CNN-Arbitration-Demand-1.pdf">filing</a>, which was obtained by Deadline, also requests “damages sufficient to allow Cuomo to recover his damages as proven at trial, but in no event less than $125 million.”
His attorneys justify such a high dollar figure on the grounds that &#8220;Cuomo has had his journalistic integrity unjustifiably smeared, making it difficult if not impossible for Cuomo to find similar work in the future and damaging him in amounts exceeding $125 million” in penalties and “future wages lost as a result of CNN’s efforts to destroy his reputation.&#8221;
Then-CNN President Jeffrey Zucker claimed to have been blindsided by new revelations of how closely the “Cuomo Prime Time” host advised his brother during a cascade of sexual harassment allegations last year. Zucker placed Cuomo on leave last November 30, pending the outcome of an investigation. Three days later, the network fired him.
But the host’s attorneys say that “Cuomo fully complied with CNN’s standards and practices, including by keeping CNN executives apprised of his actions at all times.” That proved difficult, because “CNN fostered a culture in which the network’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-cnn-employee-says-outlet-has-no-real-ethical-code">standards and practices were a constantly moving target</a>, modified at CNN executives’ discretion as they saw fit,” Cuomo’s attorneys claim.
Cuomo says Zucker’s actions proved doubly dishonest, because he and Gollust provided Governor Cuomo with “talking points and strategies for responding to statements made by then-President Donald Trump” during this time frame. Through a spokeswoman, Gollust denies these charges, calling her exchanges “innocuous” and “mundane,” according to the filing.
Chris Cuomo also helped his brother <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-cuomo-helped-gov-andrew-cuomo-spin-nursing-home-deaths">spin allegations</a> that his administration lied about the number of senior citizens who died of COVID-19 in nursing homes, according to newly-released emails obtained by the New York Post.
Cuomo’s filing includes seven pages of complaints about the actions of Cuomo’s former colleagues questioning Cuomo’s integrity, motives, and ethics. Brian Stelter, who has long enjoyed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-needs-to-step-up-and-fire-brian-stelter-cnn-insider">close relationship with Zucker</a>, accused Cuomo of “trying to burn the place down” with his charges. Don Lemon, with whom Cuomo would banter for up to 15 minutes nightly during their hand-off at 10 p.m. Eastern, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-love-you-brother-don-lemon-says-cnn-shouldnt-pay-chris-cuomos-severance">argued against paying Cuomo’s severance</a> because it would prove Cuomo could “break with those journalistic standards and then get paid handsomely for it.” Still others made anonymous statements to media outlets.
Chris Cuomo has kept a low profile since leaving the network a little more than three months after his brother resigned from office over sexual harassment charges.
Andrew Cuomo has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/andrew-cuomo-considers-political-comeback-by-running-for-governor-of-new-york-report">launched</a> a minor political comeback, telling a New York City church that <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/andrew-cuomo-tells-church-gods-not-finished-with-me-yet.html">he was a victim</a> of “cancel culture.” This filing may be the beginning of his brother’s comeback.
Zucker, too, has tried to cash in after being ousted from the network last month. CNN has reportedly agreed to compensate Zucker somewhere between <a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/03/09/jeff-zucker-reportedly-left-cnn-with-5-million-payment/">$5 million</a> and <a href="https://money.yahoo.com/jeff-zucker-reaches-10-million-214100111.html">$10 million</a>.

Chris Cuomo Demands $125 Million From CNN: Cuomo’s ‘Journalistic Integrity Unjustifiably Smeared’

Don Lemon

CNN, which prides itself on being “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-partisanship-and-profanity-save-cnn-from-its-ratings-collapse">the most trusted name in news</a>,” committed the most fundamental violations of journalistic ethics in its efforts to bash President Donald Trump and portray then-<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fall-of-andrew-cuomo-how-an-empire-built-on-fear-came-crashing-down">New York Governor Andrew Cuomo</a> (D) in a positive light, a new exposé in Rolling Stone states. CNN network brass engaged in a “consistent exchange of favors” with Cuomo and boasted their coverage resulted in “Cuomo-W. Trump-L.”
The article also reveals that the scandal-plagued former governor, who resigned after nearly a dozen women accused him of sexual harassment, told Jeff Zucker’s mistress that they engaged in “mutual” exchange of favors — and that he wanted to be her “pool boy.”
“The network brass’s interactions with the governor represented the worst kind of journalistic lapse,” wrote Tatiana Siegel in the article, which ran on Friday, summarizing the consensus of numerous ethicists. One of them, University of Missouri journalism professor Ryan Thomas, said CNN’s interactions with former Governor Cuomo constitute “one of the most clear-cut ethical breaches you could think of.”
At the center of the controversy is Allison Gollust, a former CNN executive whose personal relationship with Jeff Zucker cost them both their jobs at the network.
Cuomo, Gollust, and Zucker enjoy a long, symbiotic relationship going back at least a decade. Gollust had <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/allison-gollust-woman-relationship-ex-cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-also-resig-rcna16408">worked</a> with Zucker at NBCUniversal <a href="https://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/communications-chief-to-depart-nbc/?smid=pl-share">until 2011</a>. After she left the network, then-Governor Cuomo <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/former-cnn-exec-gollust-gleefully-texted-andrew-cuomo-trump">hired</a>Gollust as his communications director from October 2012 until March 2013, when she rejoined Zucker at CNN.
When President Donald Trump threatened to quarantine New York to stop the spread of COVID-19 in March 2020, text messages obtained by Rolling Stone show that Cuomo texted Gollust, “Ask Jeff to call me plz.”
Within hours, Cuomo forcefully told Ana Cabrera that such a quarantine would cause the stock market to “drop like a stone” and decimate the U.S. economy “for months, if not years.”
After the interview, Gollust texted Cuomo, “Well done . . . Cuomo-W. Trump-L.”
She also told Cuomo, “I’m pretty sure I stopped being your publicist 8 years ago, but apparently I still am.”
A Democratic operative told the magazine that the relationship between Cuomo and Gollust involved an inappropriate level of quid pro quo. “It was clear that she leveraged the relationship … There was a consistent exchange of favors between them.” Gollust’s spokeswoman acknowledges that Gollust asked the governor to help a friend expediate the bureaucratic regulations necessary to open a business. Gollust once texted Cuomo, “I never ask you for favors, but . . .”
Cuomo replied, “Yes, u do ask me for favors, and that’s okay. It’s mutual.”
Gollust “was a key player in Cuomogate, providing talking points to the governor — for whom she worked briefly between stints with Zucker,” notes Siegel. She added that Zucker helped “foster a toxic culture at two networks” (CNN and NBC) and “fan the flames of the disinformation age along the way.”
The CEO of CNN’s current parent company, Jason Kilar, said an investigation “found violations of Company policies, including CNN’s News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo.”
Andrew Cuomo and Allison Gollust also engaged in flirtatious texts, Rolling Stone <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/jeff-zucker-cnn-resign-affair-cuomo-trump-1319698/">reports</a>:
<blockquote>In early 2020, several months after his split from partner Sandra Lee, Cuomo asked Gollust, “You don’t want to see me now that I’m single?” She replied, “A drink with you would be the best date I’ve had in a while.” Four months later, he fired off a text to Gollust suggesting he be her “pool boy.” She responded that she’d welcome that scenario, and they set up a call. When their texting resumed, Gollust wrote, “That was fun. Sleep well.”</blockquote>
Both parties deny they had any physical relationship, with Gollust’s spokeswoman calling the allegations of an affair with Andrew Cuomo “disgusting, sexist, and patently false.”
Cuomo appears to be launching a political comeback after resigning as governor of New York last August, shortly after New York Attorney General Letitia James released a <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2021.08.03_nyag_-_investigative_report.pdf">165-page report</a> documenting that 11 women accused the governor of sexual harassment. Their allegations ranged from claiming Governor Cuomo fondled a woman’s breast under her clothes, groped multiple women’s buttocks over their clothes, or asked inappropriate questions about having sex with an older man. James’ report cited 70,000 pieces of evidence.
“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-do-it-with-everyone-andrew-cuomo-defends-himself-at-press-conference-refuses-to-resign">I do it with everyone</a>,” Cuomo said in his defense.

CNN Perpetrated The ‘Worst Kind Of Journalistic Lapse’ In Bashing Trump, Promoting Andrew Cuomo: Experts

CNN&#8217;s Allison Gollust expressed her frustration over the way WarnerMedia sought to &#8220;change the media narrative&#8221; over her resignation regarding her relationship with former network President Jeff Zucker.
A copy of Gollust&#8217;s email to CNN staff was shared on Twitter by Dylan Byers from the Puck on Tuesday that claimed the network&#8217;s move was &#8220;an attempt to retaliate&#8221; against her.
&#8220;WarnerMedia&#8217;s statement tonight is an attempt to retaliate against me and change the media narrative in the wake of their disastrous handling of the last two weeks. It is deeply disappointing that after spending the past nine years defending and upholding CNN&#8217;s highest standards of journalistic integrity, I would be treated this way as I leave,&#8221; she wrote.
&#8220;But I do so with my head held high, knowing that I gave my heart and soul to working with the finest journalists in the world. I will be in touch with each of you soon. In the meantime, please know that this has been the greatest experience of my life, working with each of you,&#8221; Gollust added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/w1xv9D4Gam">pic.twitter.com/w1xv9D4Gam</a>
&mdash; Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanByers/status/1493759896910663682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Earlier Tuesday, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar announced Gollust&#8217;s resignation in an email to CNN staff members.
“Earlier today, Allison Gollust resigned from CNN following the conclusion of the Company’s investigation into issues associated with Chris Cuomo and former Governor Andrew Cuomo,” Kilar wrote.
“Performed by a third-party law firm and led by a former federal judge, the investigation was comprehensive and definitive. It was commissioned in September and concluded this weekend, which now allows me to share additional information with you. Based on interviews of more than 40 individuals and a review of over 100,000 texts and emails, the investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNN’s News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo,” Kilar continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Brand new memo from Jason Kilar: &quot;The investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNN&#39;s News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Xu1HQJw9cT">pic.twitter.com/Xu1HQJw9cT</a>
&mdash; Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1493744302127820800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-allison-gollust-out-at-cnn-after-investigation-reveals-violations-by-top-execs-chris-cuomo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Gollust&#8217;s resignation, stating:
<blockquote>Zucker resigned from the company weeks before after the investigation revealed that he and Gollust were in an undisclosed relationship. CNN fired Cuomo in December for aiding his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, formulate a media strategy and respond to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
“I realize this news is troubling, disappointing, and frankly, painful to read. These are valid feelings many of you have,” Kilar wrote. “We have the highest standards of journalistic integrity at CNN, and those rules must apply to everyone equally. Given the information provided to me in the investigation, I strongly believe we have taken the right actions and the right decisions have been made.”
“I am asking in this moment that we all commit to the vital mission we share and the values that define us. CNN, WarnerMedia, and this incredible team deserve that commitment,” he concluded.</blockquote>
The three top CNN leaders are not the only ones to face departures under difficult circumstances recently. The network also had two former producers <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnn-producer-under-criminal-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in separate child sex allegations in 2021.
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

CNN logo

‘Attempt To Retaliate Against Me’: Allison Gollust Blasts CNN’s Handling Of Her Departure

Allison Gollust, CNN’s chief marketing officer, resigned Tuesday following the conclusion of an investigation that incriminated her, former CNN President Jeff Zucker, and former CNN host Chris Cuomo.
Jason Kilar, CEO of CNN parent company WarnerMedia, announced the findings of the CNN investigation and Gollust’s resignation in an email to employees on Tuesday evening. The investigation, performed by an outside law firm, concluded that Gollust, Zucker, and Cuomo violated company policies.
“Earlier today, Allison Gollust resigned from CNN following the conclusion of the Company’s investigation into issues associated with Chris Cuomo and former Governor Andrew Cuomo,” Kilar wrote.
“Performed by a third-party law firm and led by a former federal judge, the investigation was comprehensive and definitive. It was commissioned in September and concluded this weekend, which now allows me to share additional information with you. Based on interviews of more than 40 individuals and a review of over 100,000 texts and emails, the investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNN’s News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo,” Kilar continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Brand new memo from Jason Kilar: &quot;The investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNN&#39;s News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Xu1HQJw9cT">pic.twitter.com/Xu1HQJw9cT</a>
&mdash; Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/1493744302127820800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Zucker resigned from the company weeks before after the investigation revealed that he and Gollust were in an undisclosed relationship. CNN fired Cuomo in December for aiding his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, formulate a media strategy and respond to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
“I realize this news is troubling, disappointing, and frankly, painful to read. These are valid feelings many of you have,” Kilar wrote. “We have the highest standards of journalistic integrity at CNN, and those rules must apply to everyone equally. Given the information provided to me in the investigation, I strongly believe we have taken the right actions and the right decisions have been made.”
“I am asking in this moment that we all commit to the vital mission we share and the values that define us. CNN, WarnerMedia, and this incredible team deserve that commitment,” he concluded.
Gollust and Zucker began a romantic relationship “in recent years” after the outbreak of COVID-19, the two said in statements earlier this month after revelations about their relationship went public. The two worked closely together for over two decades before the pandemic struck and, as Zucker put it, &#8220;the relationship evolved.&#8221;
The two first began working together at NBC News on the &#8220;Today&#8221; show. Gollust joined the show as a publicist in 1997 where Zucker was already working at the show&#8217;s executive producer. While the two claim that their relationship sparked less than two years ago, rumors have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/business/media/jeff-zucker-allison-gollust-cnn.html">swirled</a> about the couple much longer, predating their separate divorces from their former spouses. Gollust filed for divorce from her former husband in 2015. Zucker and his ex-wife divorced two years later in 2017.
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Allison Gollust

Allison Gollust Out At CNN After Investigation Reveals ‘Violations’ By Top Execs, Chris Cuomo

Terminated CNN anchor Chris Cuomo could be gearing up to go after his former employer for a $60 million payout — ostensibly to cover the remainder of his contract as well as money he could have made in the future — according to a report from Page Six.
Cuomo was <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/damning-video-of-chris-cuomo-testimony-that-got-him-fired-by-cnn-has-been-released/">fired by CNN</a> in December after an independent investigation revealed that he had been far more instrumental in <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/cnn-plans-thorough-review-after-document-dump-suggests-chris-cuomo-had-larger-role-advising-andrew-cuomo/">assisting his brother</a> — former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) — as he navigated numerous sexual harassment allegations.
Former CNN president Jeff Zucker also <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/stop-defending-this-megyn-kelly-unloads-on-cnns-alisyn-camerota-for-defending-zucker/">left the company</a> abruptly last week, citing his own failure to disclose a personal relationship with his longtime colleague Allison Gollust — who is remaining with CNN.
But <a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/02/08/chris-cuomo-wants-as-much-as-60-million-from-cnn/?_ga=2.86744336.943914967.1644260994-188821737.1639435038">according to Page Six</a>, Cuomo and his team are not buying Zucker&#8217;s explanation for his sudden exit:
<blockquote>“His camp believes Zucker wasn’t fired for an inappropriate relationship with Allison Gollust. <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/02/ousted-cnn-boss-jeff-zuckers-affair-with-his-colleague-allison-gollust-was-the-worst-kept-secret-in-tv-but-they-conspired-to-keep-it-out-of-the-media-for-years-with-a-web-of-lies-sources-told-the-post/">Everybody knew about that</a> and nobody cared.
“What he believes happened is WarnerMedia found something in their investigation into Chris, perhaps internal memos or documents which <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/03/jeff-zucker-allison-gollusts-cozy-ties-with-andrew-cuomo-deeper-than-previously-known/">revealed more about Zucker’s involvement with Andrew Cuomo</a>. Gollust was just a convenient excuse.”</blockquote>
Sources told Page Six that Cuomo felt like Zucker &#8220;orchestrated a f*** job&#8221; on him, ruining a career that could have spanned another 15-20 years — and for that reason, they say he could go to CNN and demand as much as $80 million: the $18 million remaining on his contract when he was terminated as well as lost wages for the years he believes the network cost him when they let him go. CNN, they noted, was not likely to come across with $80 million — but said Cuomo could cut his losses and demand a figure closer to $60 million.
&#8220;Chris is telling people in the Hamptons he was wrongly fired, humiliated, his career has been ruined, and he wants Megyn Kelly money,&#8221; another source said, referencing the $69 million settlement Kelly got when she left NBC amid a controversy over comments she made about blackface.
Since Zucker&#8217;s ouster, Cuomo&#8217;s former colleagues at CNN have blamed him for costing them their leadership. Anchor Jake Tapper implied that Cuomo was essentially a terrorist making demands and burning things down when he didn&#8217;t get his way.
As The Daily Wire reported:
<blockquote>Many have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joined-at-the-hip-jeff-zuckers-lover-was-former-comms-director-for-andrew-cuomo">speculated</a> that Cuomo might have leveraged information about Zucker in an attempt to either get revenge for his own recent termination or to pressure executives at the network to pay out the remainder of his contract — and Tapper said that any outsider who happened to be looking at the network’s current state of affairs might believe he had been successful.
From the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/cnn-president-jeff-zucker-resigns-citing-relationship-with-colleague-11643818528">report</a>, written by Benjamin Mullin:
During the question-and-answer session, anchor Jake Tapper said that Mr. Cuomo hired a lawyer who seemed eager to leak damaging information about Mr. Zucker unless they gave Mr. Cuomo severance.
“An outside observer might say, ‘Well, it looks like Chris Cuomo succeeded,’” Mr. Tapper said. “He threatened Jeff. Jeff said we don’t negotiate with terrorists. And Chris blew the place up. How do we get past that perception that this is the bad guy winning?”</blockquote>

SiriusXM’s Chris Cuomo Hosts A Bipartisan Conversation With Former Governors Christine Todd Whitman And Jennifer Granholm

‘He Wants Megyn Kelly Money’: Report Claims Chris Cuomo Could Hit CNN For Up To $60 Million

Megyn Kelly

In 2005, CNN’s founder Ted Turner lamented that his network was spending too much time reporting on perverts. “We have a lot of perverts on today and I know that, but is that really news?” Turner said at the time. “You&#8217;ve got to cover Michael Jackson, but not three stories about perversion that we do every day as well.”
Fast-forward 17 years, and unfortunately for Turner, one of the top news stories of today is the number of alleged perverts in recent years who have worked at the company he founded. It seems like there could be “three stories about perversion” every day coming from within the network.
To help keep track of the apparent degeneracy, we boiled down the following list in no particular order of firings, forced resignations, and even forgiveness at CNN due to what many would deem grotesque sexual proclivities, or at least an indication that they get their jollies in some very peculiar ways — if everything claimed is actually true.
CNN Senior Producer John Griffin
If the allegations against him are true, this is one of the most disgusting perverts to ever work at CNN. In December 2021, Griffin was fired by the network after <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/pr/connecticut-man-indicted-attempting-induce-minors-engage-unlawful-sexual-activity-ludlow">being</a> charged with attempting to induce young girls into sexual activity, including allegedly flying girls across the country according to an indictment from the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office:
<blockquote>In June of 2020, Griffin advised a mother of 9- and 13-year-old daughters that the mother’s responsibility was to see that her older daughter was “trained properly.” Griffin later transferred over $3,000 to the mother for plane tickets so the mother and her 9-year-old daughter could fly from Nevada to Boston’s Logan airport. The mother and child flew to Boston in July of 2020, where Griffin picked them up in his Tesla and drove them to his Ludlow house. At the house, the daughter was directed to engage in, and did engage in, unlawful sexual activity.</blockquote>
Authorities also claimed, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/11/us/john-griffin-charged-arrested-minors-unlawful-sexual-activity/index.html">as noted by CNN</a>, that Griffin left an illustrious online trail of his activities:
<blockquote>According to an indictment filed on Thursday, Griffin allegedly paid for and kept an online profile on a “BDSM dating, Fetish, and Kink Site” for several years leading up to July 2020, on which he allegedly wrote he was looking for women who were “sexually ‘submissive’ and ‘open-minded.&#8217;”
During conversations on separate online platforms, Griffin allegedly said he believed in “a way of life” in which “women are sexually subservient and inferior to men,” according to the indictment. He allegedly used online platforms to seek parents “who would allow him to train their minor daughters to be sexually subservient,” the indictment said.</blockquote>
“The charges against Mr. Griffin are deeply disturbing. We learned of his arrest Friday afternoon and terminated his employment today,” a CNN spokesperson said in a <a href="https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/CNN-fires-Connecticut-producer-accused-of-16699201.php">statement</a> at the time.
Griffin has been a longtime producer at the network. Now, he faces 10 years in jail per felony charge. 
CNN Producer Rick Saleeby 
CNN producer Rick Saleeby, a longtime staffer of Jake Tapper’s, is also accused of fantasizing about raping children, according to Project Veritas. Shortly after the undercover investigative journalism outlet released a video allegedly <a href="https://www.projectveritas.com/news/cnn-rick-saleeby-has-resigned/">revealing </a>Saleeby to be a child predator in late 2021 through texts and FaceTimes, the Fairfax County Police launched an investigation into the man. 
Following the PV videos, however, Saleeby resigned. All Fairfax PD has <a href="https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2021/12/30/22859973/second-cnn-employee-under-investigation-involving-potential-juvenile-victims">said about the matter </a> is that in part they “will eventually be transparent about our findings, safeguarding the personal privacy and safety of victims and witnesses as well as maintaining the integrity of our criminal investigation are of paramount importance…” and that “Detectives assigned to the Child Exploitation Squad of the Major Crimes Bureau are leading the investigation,” into Saleeby.
But not all the potential pervs targeted children at CNN, others were accused of making sexually advancements on colleagues. 
CNN Supervising Producer Steve Brusk
What is it with Tapper producers leaving the company after being accused of inappropriate behaviors? In 2019, Steve Brusk <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnn-producer-steve-brusk-resigns-project-veritas">resigned</a> from Jake Tapper’s show after Project Veritas recorded — the first time — Saleeby discussing in detail how Brusk would make unwelcomed moves on female colleagues. Here’s how Fox News reported it at the time:
<blockquote>A <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media">CNN</a> producer abruptly resigned, according to a Thursday report, just weeks after he was implicated by another network staffer of sexual misconduct, in leaked videos from the controversial conservative watchdog group Project Veritas.
In October, Steve Brusk, CNN Politics&#8217; supervising producer, was accused of &#8220;making advances&#8221; at female employees at social gatherings. He allegedly would &#8220;put his arms around them&#8221; and &#8220;try and touch their leg&#8221; as well as being &#8220;flirty and inappropriate&#8221; in email exchanges, according to Rick Saleeby, whom Project Veritas identified as a senior producer for &#8220;The Lead with Jake Tapper.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ll tell you this. In this climate that&#8217;s going on right now, he definitely would have been fired,&#8221; Saleeby told an undercover journalist for Project Veritas, who was secretly recording the conversation.</blockquote>
Saleeby was saying Brusk would have been fired? It takes one to know one, I suppose. 
Brusk has never been charged with anything, but his fleeing the company certainly adds to suspicion about what exactly he did at CNN. When asked why Brusk was never fired, Saleeby reportedly suspected his longevity and company executives shielded him:
<blockquote>&#8220;Partly, and he&#8217;s protected by certain people there,&#8221; Saleeby responded. &#8220;Value him or like him&#8230; like the other higher-ups there.</blockquote>
CNN Host Elliot Spitzer, Former Governor of New York
Former Governor of New York Elliot Spitzer may be long forgotten, but in June 2010, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/07/06/137654073/cnn-cancels-eliot-spitzers-in-the-arena">CNN gave Spitzer</a> a role c0-hosting a primetime show with columnist Kathleen Parker called “Parker Spitzer.” Parker left in February 2011 — amid speculation that poor ratings were to blame — and the show was changed to “In the Arena,” hosted solo by Spitzer. It didn’t even last the year. 
Readers may be thinking there’s nothing twisted about a news network hiring a high profile politician for a TV slot. Well, Spitzer was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/12/spitzer/index.html">hired</a> after he resigned from his gubernatorial post after getting caught in a New York prostitution ring.
 Spitzer resigned in 2008 after he was busted making at least seven to eight trips to a high end prostitution ring, spending upwards of $15,000, though prosecutors stated that it was closer to $80,000. Spitzer was never charged because, according to authorities, he never misused public funds or campaign funds for his dalliances. 
That was good enough for CNN and they gave the guy a job.
CNN Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin
Now it’s time for a real doozy. Jeffrey Toobin, a man accused of impregnating his mistress and pressuring her into getting an abortion, was busted in 2021 for masturbating while on a work call. But not just any call, a Zoom call where his colleagues could see everything in plain sight. The weirdest part was that Toobin explained his actions by claiming he thought the camera was off. How that would excuse doing that during a work day on a Zoom call — regardless of the context — is unclear. He was suspended for eight months. 
Upon his return, Alisyn Camerota<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8noCAW7z5Bk"> interviewed him </a>about the incident on live TV. What sort of company leaves a woman to interview her co-worker about the lessons he has learned about not pleasuring yourself as a grown man during a work call? CNN, that’s what company. Sickos. 
Toobin’s actions were so lurid, his last name became a euphemism for the act he was caught doing. But, somehow, CNN forgave Toobin and he is now back on TV nearly every night. You can watch his “welcome back party” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8noCAW7z5Bk">here</a>.
CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo
The fired CNN anchor had a sordid history with the network for outside activities — not necessarily related to personal accusations of sexual harrassment. He was caught <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janice-dean-responds-to-cuomo-bros-plan-to-discredit-fox-weather-b">assisting </a>with public relations for his brother Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) as his policies led to the deaths of thousands in Empire State nursing homes. Then, it was revealed the TV anchor was helping his gubernatorial sibling with statements and secret research into accusers who alleged that Andrew had sexually harrassed them for some number of years. 
It obviously did not work because the New York Attorney General Letitia James launched an initial investigation into whether or not he could be charged for anything. Andrew subsequently resigned, but his brother at CNN was not allowed such a graceful exit. An internal investigation at the network revealed that Cuomo the younger actually was much more involved with his older brother’s PR strategy than had initially been realized. 
Cuomo was placed on suspension in December for assisting in the sexual harassment media defense of his brothers, but then the bomb dropped. Chris was also accused of sexual harrssment. He was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-emerge-about-why-cnn-fired-chris-cuomo-reports">fired by CNN </a>shortly thereafter. Debra Katz, an attorney representing the accuser, released the following statement in part:
<blockquote>In the wake of public sexual harassment allegations against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, Chris Cuomo looked directly into the camera and told viewers of Cuomo Prime Time, “I have always cared very deeply about these issues and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that.” Subsequently, the Attorney General released jaw-dropping documentary evidence demonstrating that Chris Cuomo played an active role in attempting to smear women whom the Attorney General concluded had made serious allegations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct against the Governor. Hearing the hypocrisy of Chris Cuomo’s on-air words and disgusted by his efforts to try to discredit these women, my client retained counsel to report his serious sexual misconduct against her to CNN.</blockquote>
Immediately after Katz brought the information to CNN, Cuomo was fired. He hasn’t been charged with anything, but what was the claim that got Cuomo to be fired — especially after they kept Toobin around? We may never know. 
CNN President Jeff Zucker 
The latest individual implicated in sexual misconduct at the company is CEO’s former president Jeff Zucker. Zucker resigned this past week after the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-blasted-after-zucker-resigns-over-relationship-with-colleague-industry-insiders-suggest-more-to-story"> investigation into former employee Cuomo revealed</a> that the media leader had a consensual, non-disclosed relationship with one of his colleagues, Allison Gollust. Zucker claims it is completely consensual and Gollust has not alleged any sexual harrassments. Others say it was an “open secret,” while some have even suggested that the relationship had been suspected of going on for years — including while the two were married — as Katie Couric, a former Zucker staffer at NBC, said Gollust and Zucker were “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/business/media/jeff-zucker-allison-gollust-cnn.html">joined at the hip</a>.” 
If it were a consensual relationship between two adults after a divorce, that does not necessarily make it “perversion” — as CNN’s founder might have complained about so many years ago. If they were having an affair, which Couric hints she believed may have been the case, then this is obviously a bigger scandal. 
But for now, the real perversion here is a disorder of the mind on two-parts; Zucker’s judgment is distorted for not thinking he had to disclose it. Gollust also apparently received promotions as Zucker rose the ranks. That clearly looks bad.
The second lapse in critical thinking occurred within the CNN employees who could not figure out why Zucker had to go. Many acted like the guy died or something. After Zucker resigned, CNN executive Michael Bass told the entire editorial team on CNN’s daily call, &#8220;I know we&#8217;re all in shock.&#8221;
“You can&#8217;t replace Jeff. It&#8217;s not possible,” he claimed. “There&#8217;s no one else like him.&#8221; 
So, &#8220;the best thing we can do is honor his legacy and continue his mission…Do what we&#8217;ve been doing every single day.&#8221; 
So, there you have it. They say your worst fear consumes you. We&#8217;re sorry to break the news to Turner, but it looks like alleged perverts have consumed his network, making the news so horrendous as he was afraid would happen. 
Turner one time told his staff he “would like to see us return to a little more international coverage on the domestic feed and a little more environmental coverage and, maybe, a little less of the pervert of the day.” 
What he could not have known is that in the year 2022, many Americans feel the exact same way about the network — only this time it’s about the news going on inside the network rather than what they report on each day. 
A previous version of this article incorrectly said that the Fairfax County Police launched an investigation into Rick Saleeby in &#8220;late 2022.&#8221; This has been updated. 
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Perverts, Predators And Adulterers: 7 CNN Employees Forced Out In Disgrace

Jeffrey Toobin

Following the departure of CNN president Jeffrey Zucker, the network’s new owners are planning a shake-up that should leave CNN’s opinion hosts feeling “concerned” and “nervous” about their future, a guest told Brian Stelter on Sunday. During the exchange, Stelter said that CNN personalities found calls from incoming shareholders for the network to return to unbiased news “offensive” and “disturbing.”
Zucker’s resignation came as CNN is pending a sale that will put the cable news network under the control of Discovery CEO David Zaslav — and which could require CNN to give up much of its left-of-center commentary in favor of straight news reporting. “I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with and, you know, actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing,” Liberty Media Chairman John Malone, who would be a key stockholder if the CNN-Discovery merger goes through, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-would-like-to-see-cnn-evolve-back-to-doing-news-actually-have-journalists-incoming-top-shareholder">told</a> CNBC last November.
“Many CNN staffers found that to be offensive,” said Stelter. “Jeff Zucker found that to be quite disturbing, because he&#8217;s looking at that thinking, what is Discovery&#8217;s key shareholder going to do to CNN.” Zucker, who took the helm in 2012, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/can-partisanship-and-profanity-save-cnn-from-its-ratings-collapse">directed</a> CNN’s emergence into an openly liberal, anti-Trump network and encouraged hosts to vent their political views.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists,&quot; claimed John Malone, the top shareholder of Discovery, which is poised to take over the network. <a href="https://t.co/QnNhQwgBY0">pic.twitter.com/QnNhQwgBY0</a>
&mdash; Mediaite (@Mediaite) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mediaite/status/1461747950711971846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Stelter’s guest, Ken Auletta, who writes for The New Yorker, added that Malone has criticized CNN for “too much advocacy, too much commentary, too little reporting from the world. There&#8217;s some merit to that. I mean, CNN had always talked about how we cover the world like no one else &#8230; Well, they don&#8217;t do it.”
“If I was at CNN and I was an employee and I loved working under Jeff Zucker, for understandable reasons, I would be concerned,” said Auletta.
“There&#8217;s no question that David Zaslav, as he said to me in November at a public forum, believes that there&#8217;s too much commentary on CNN,” Auletta continued. “And if you watch CNN, the anchors are much more animated with opinions than they were when Ted Turner started the network back some three decades ago.”
“True,” replied host Brian Stelter, nodding.
“And so I would be a little nervous if I was at CNN, yes,” replied Auletta.
The exchange came just days after The Daily Mail reported that a CNN insider said, “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-needs-to-step-up-and-fire-brian-stelter-cnn-insider">The network needs to step up and fire Brian Stelter</a>.” The unnamed network personality added, if Stelter “wants to say he didn’t know” about Zucker’s affair with CNN Executive Vice President Allison Gollust, “he is truly terrible at his job.”
Stelter, who dedicated much of his program to Zucker’s departure, revealed he may be far from the only one who should be anxious about his job security if the incoming owners want the network to stick to the facts. In the wake of Zucker’s resignation, Stelter said, “Staffers are angry. They&#8217;re angry at Warner Media. They&#8217;re angry at [Chris] Cuomo, and they&#8217;re wondering what happens now.”
“I&#8217;m told by sources that Discovery views this as a fresh start for CNN. And maybe in a year, people will look back and say this was a good thing for CNN,” Stelter said. “But it&#8217;s not what the staffers here wanted — and certainly not like this.”
Stelter tried to downplay Malone’s role in the future company, saying he “will just be one member of the board along with 12 or 13 or 14 others. So, should CNN anchors and reporters be concerned about John Malone&#8217;s views of CNN?”
Auletta immediately rebuffed Stelter, saying, “Well, of course.”
Auletta’s analysis seemed to echo the words of John Stankey, the CEO of AT&amp;T, which presently owns CNN.
“Jeff had a tremendous following within CNN, and there’s a lot of people who were incredibly loyal and supportive of him,” Stankey <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/business/media/att-discovery-cnn-jeff-zucker.html">said</a> on Friday. “That makes it hard for those individuals.”
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Jeff Zucker, Don lemon

CNN Guest: ‘I Would Be A Little Nervous If I Was At CNN’

Brian Stelter

CNN should fire Brian Stelter as its chief media correspondent for failing to report on network president Jeffrey Zucker’s longstanding affair with a co-worker, a network insider told a British newspaper.
“The network needs to step up and fire Brian Stelter,” the CNN employee told The Daily Mail.
The employee said it’s unconscionable that Stelter allowed himself to get scooped on the story of Zucker’s intimate relationship with Allison Gollust, CNN’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
“He is allegedly our top media reporter &#8211; yet he failed to report on the scoop that everyone in the office knew,” <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10469837/Insiders-calling-CNN-anchor-Brian-Stelter-FIRED.html">said</a> the CNN insider. “And if he wants to say he didn&#8217;t know, he is truly terrible at his job.”
Zucker, who has held the office of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/profiles/jeff-zucker-profile">president</a> of CNN Worldwide since 2013 and has been chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-cnns-jeff-zucker-resigns-due-to-undisclosed-consensual-relationship-with-colleague">resigned</a> Wednesday after admitting to a “consensual relationship” with a close colleague. The couple have worked together closely for 20 years at multiple networks. Katie Couric <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/business/media/jeff-zucker-allison-gollust-cnn.html">described</a> the couple as “joined at the hip” in her 2021 memoir. One source told the Daily Mail their relationship, which the source says began much earlier than they let on to the public, was “an open secret.”
“Brian Stelter should be calling his agent to start looking for another job,” said an individual the newspaper identified only as “a cable news veteran” who wished to remain anonymous. “He&#8217;s been Jeff Zucker&#8217;s water boy for years and no one believes he didn&#8217;t know about all of this.”
“He&#8217;s been sitting on his moral high horse doing Jeff&#8217;s bidding and ripping Fox [News] and every other media outlet that Jeff tells him to while his ratings crash and burn. Where was he on the biggest story at his own network after chastising everyone else?” the veteran asked.
The affair reportedly came to the network’s attention during its probe of Chris Cuomo, whom the network let go following allegations that he had advised his brother, former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fall-of-andrew-cuomo-how-an-empire-built-on-fear-came-crashing-down">New York Governor Andrew Cuomo</a>, and that the CNN host had been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chris-cuomo-out-at-siriusxm-radio-show">accused of sexual harassment</a> in his own right. <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/jeff-zucker-cnn-investigation-affair-cuomo-1294608/">Rolling Stone</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnns-stelter-we-will-discuss-zuckers-resignation-janice-dean-try-discussing-zucker-covering-up-nursing-home-deaths-andrew-cuomos-role">reported</a> that “Zucker and Gollust were advising the governor at the beginning of the Covid pandemic in ways not dissimilar to what led to Chris Cuomo’s dismissal.” Jake Tapper suspected that Chris Cuomo or his legal team had reason to leak word about Zucker’s relationship if CNN refused to pay the remaining $18 million of Cuomo’s contract, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/cnn-president-jeff-zucker-resigns-citing-relationship-with-colleague-11643818528">according</a> to the Wall Street Journal. AT&amp;T reportedly negotiated with Zucker to resign in exchange for settling Cuomo’s contractual obligations for $9 million, <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/03/what-jeff-zuckers-resignation-could-mean-for-chris-cuomos-potential-cnn-payout/">reported</a> the New York Post.
In Zucker’s resignation memo, which was shared by Stelter, the CNN boss referred to his nine years with the network as “an amazing run,” although the network continually lost viewers during his tenure, with the exception of one day last January.
Stelter, the host of “Reliable Sources,” has downplayed the network&#8217;s pronounced ratings slide, <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/cnns-brian-stelter-responds-to-trump-ratings-attack-president-is-misinformed/">saying</a> that “misleading ratings #’s get weaponized by Trumpworld.” Yet Stelter has felt the brunt of falling ratings and diminishing audience trust. “In December overall, according to Nielsen ratings, “Reliable Sources” averaged 693,000 viewers with 152,000 in the demo. Fox News’ 11 a.m. ET competitor, “Media Buzz,” averaged 1.460 million viewers, of which 217,000 were in the demo,” reported The Wrap.
Last Sunday, Stelter lamented the fact that podcaster Joe Rogan inspired greater confidence in his listeners than CNN. “Not all opinions are created equal,&#8221; Stelter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-chief-zucker-resigns-two-days-after-brian-stelter-sneers-over-people-trusting-joe-rogan-more-than-cnn">told</a> his audience. &#8220;You think about major newsrooms like CNN that have health departments and deaths and operations that work hard on verifying information on COVID-19, and then you have talk show stars like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-worlds-largest-broadcasters-fact-check-of-joe-rogan-podcast-goes-quite-wrong">Joe Rogan, who just swing it</a>, who make it up as they go along. And because figures like Rogan are trusted by people that don’t trust real newsrooms, we have a tension.”
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Menu