OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
The situation with the sex scandal that had the head of CNN and his top lieutenant leave the network now has a Harvey Weinstein connection.
Former CNN president Jeff Zucker and former chief marketing officer Allison Gollust have hired a prominent public relations and crisis management in Washington, D.C. that has represented other high profile people including the director, Mediaite reported
CNN has been conducting internal investigations for months now that have resulted in the firing of ex-anchor Chris Cuomo and the resignations of both Zucker and Gollust, and have revealed multiple issues relating to the three. Zucker resigned earlier this month after he failed to disclose a consensual relationship with Gollust. She resigned this week at the conclusion of the internal investigation.
In the wake of Gollust’s resignation, both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have new reporting on some of what those investigations revealed, including that Gollust reportedly coordinated with her former boss, Andrew Cuomo, on questions he’d be asked on-air on CNN.
Those stories quote statements from a spokesperson, identified by the New York Times as Risa Heller, CEO of Risa Heller Communications.
Heller has worked for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Anthony Weiner and was a spokesperson for Weinstein.
Allison Gollust, the former lieutenant to Zucker, resigned after an investigation “into issues associated with” Chris Cuomo, a former CNN anchor, and his brother Andrew, the former governor of New York, a memo sent to staffers by WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said, CNN reported.
“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,” he said to staffers.
“We have the highest standards of journalistic integrity at CNN, and those rules must apply to everyone equally,” he said. “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.”
Gollust issued a statement announcing her departure from the company on Tuesday.
“WarnerMedia’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,” she said. “It is deeply disappointing that after spending the past nine years defending and upholding CNN’s highest standards of journalistic integrity, I would be treated this way as I leave. 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.”
Reports have indicted that Chris Cuomo is getting set for a major lawsuit against the network.
After his former boss Jeff Zucker exited the network, sources say that Cuomo wants a settlement of around $60 million, The New York Post reported.
Multiple sources tell Page Six that Cuomo — who was fired in December for helping his brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, fend off sexual harassment allegations — is ready to dig his heels in by claiming that Zucker not only knew about his dealings with the governor but that the network boss had his own inappropriate dealings with Andrew.
And he is prepared to demand not the $18 million left on his contract, but as much as $60 million.
“He wants Megyn Kelly money,” sources said to The Post.
“Chris insists he never did anything for his brother Andrew that Zucker didn’t know about,” a source said.
“His camp believes Zucker wasn’t fired for an inappropriate relationship with Allison Gollust. Everybody knew about that and nobody cared.
“What he believes happened is WarnerMedia found something in their investigation into Chris, perhaps internal memos or documents which revealed more about Zucker’s involvement with Andrew Cuomo. Gollust was just a convenient excuse,” they said.
“Chris intends to fight for every dollar on his contract, and loss of income from the 15 to 20 years left in his career, had Zucker not orchestrated a ‘f–k-job’ on him. He could ask for as much as $80 million but CNN isn’t going to pay that. But there’s an argument he could ask for as much as $60 million,” the source said.
