Ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is demanding a staggering $125 million damages for being fired — and calls his termination “the epitome of hypocrisy” by the scandal-scarred, third-place community, in line with authorized papers filed Wednesday.
In a scorched-earth submitting with the JAMS mediation and arbitration service, Cuomo alleged that his former employer “has a long-established sample and follow of selectively implementing its insurance policies primarily based on cynical calculations of public notion.”
He additionally claimed that CNN’s behavior of creating “exceptions” to its guidelines “started on the prime” with former CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker and former chief advertising officer Allison Gollust, who each resigned beneath strain final month for failing to reveal their affair.”
So long as CNN’s scores wouldn't be harm, Zucker and Gollust have been greater than prepared to miss main transgressions by CNN personalities akin to Don Lemon and Jake Tapper, and even to interact in blatant misconduct themselves,” in line with the submitting.
These “transgressions” concerned hate-crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett’s testimony that Lemon texted him that cops didn’t imagine his claims — which Lemon later denied — and Tapper’s efforts to persuade Republican Sean Parnell to not problem US Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Penn.)
Cuomo additionally stated CNN let chief authorized analyst Jeffrey Toobin — who was suspended for getting caught masturbating throughout a video convention with staffers on the New Yorker journal, which fired him — “return to work with out even issuing a public apology” — though Toobin repeatedly stated he was “sorry” throughout his first look following the scandal.
“In every of the above-described incidents, CNN allowed workers to retain their jobs for offenses way more egregious than something CNN alleges Cuomo did,” in line with the submitting.
“That is the epitome of hypocrisy, as there was no legitimate foundation for terminating his contract.”
In a collection of bombshell allegations, the previous “Cuomo Prime Time” host — who was fired in December for making an attempt to assist his brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, battle sexual harassment allegations — stated “CNN demanded by means of its management” that he repeatedly interview Andrew Cuomo through the top of the COVID-19 pandemic to attain a “scores bonanza.”
Chris Cuomo additionally stated that “CNN pushed Gov. Cuomo to not seem on different networks,” implying that doing so may harm his brother’s profession, and likewise requested him to carry his fashionable coronavirus briefings “primarily based on its program schedule and when its scores have been weakest.”
As well as, he stated, “Zucker and Gollust acted as advisors to Gov. Cuomo throughout this time by giving him speaking factors and methods for responding to statements made by then-President Donald Trump.”
“Notably, for years, CNN didn't self-discipline Gollust os Zucker for his or her egregious violations of CNN coverage, together with each Gollust and Zucker utilizing their privileged entry to Gov. Cuomo to safe COVID checks,” in line with the submitting.
Chris Cuomo’s submitting calls for not less than $15 million for termination of his contract 19 months earlier than it expired, saying he’s entitled to about $14.4 million in unpaid base wage and “not less than a ratings-related bonus.”
Based mostly on the quantity being sought, his contract paid him round $9.1 million a 12 months, greater than half once more as a lot as has been beforehand reported.
However the bulk of the damages — not less than $110 million — is demanded on grounds that CNN violated the contract by “failing to instruct CNN workers to not disparage Cuomo,” resulting in widespread assaults on his ethics and repute, “with Zucker main the cost.”
“Cuomo has had his journalistic integrity unjustifiably smeared, making it tough if not not possible for Cuomo to search out comparable work sooner or later,” in line with the submitting.
In response to the submitting, “Zucker and Gollust have been absolutely conscious of the scope of Cuomo’s help to Gov. Cuomo,” and Chris Cuomo “had no purpose to imagine that his help to Gov. Cuomo was inconsistent with CNN’s” insurance policies.
In an announcement, Chris Cuomo’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, stated “It ought to by now be apparent to everybody that Chris Cuomo didn't misinform CNN about serving to his brother.”
“Actually, because the restricted data launched from WarnerMedia’s investigation makes clear, CNN’s highest-level executives not solely knew about Chris’s involvement in serving to his brother but in addition actively assisted the Governor, each by means of Chris and immediately themselves,” he stated.
“As CNN has admitted, community requirements have been modified in a calculated determination to spice up scores. When these practices have been known as into query, Chris was made the scapegoat.”
CNN and its guardian firm, AT&T’s WarnerMedia, each declined to remark.
A spokesperson for Zucker and Gollust denied that Zucker gave Andrew Cuomo recommendation and stated neither have been “ever given preferential entry to COVID checks. That is false.”
The rep has beforehand stated that Zucker “was by no means conscious of the total extent of what Chris Cuomo was doing for his brother, which is why Chris was fired,” and that Gollust “by no means supplied recommendation or counsel to Andrew Cuomo. Interval.”
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