CNN’s Chris Cuomo reportedly received priority coronavirus testing early in the pandemic at the direction his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The tests: According to multiple reports on Wednesday, the Democratic governor arranged special access to government-run coronavirus testing for members of his family and other influential people, mostly in March 2020, when the tests were scarce.
- Chris Cuomo, the host of “Cuomo Prime Time,” was tested several times, sources said, and on March 31 he announced a test had come back positive.
Later the same day, he hosted Andrew Cuomo on CNN.
- “I know you’re working your tail off for everybody,” Chris Cuomo said from quarantine in his basement. “I love you. I respect you. Stay safe.”
- It was one of several times CNN controversially allowed Cuomo to conduct softball interviews of his big brother, citing “significant human interest” in the exchanges.
The responses: The younger Cuomo, who is on vacation this week, declined to comment on his alleged acceptance of political favors from the governor he was promoting national TV.
But a CNN spokesman said Cuomo had acted “as any human being would.”
Andrew Cuomo’s office, meanwhile, suggested any special tests the governor may have arranged were just part of his famed COVID-19 leadership, which earned him an Emmy and inspired him to write a book.
- “We should avoid insincere efforts to rewrite the past. In the early days of this pandemic, when there was a heavy emphasis on contact tracing, we were absolutely going above and beyond to get people testing …” Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi said in a statement.
- “Among those we assisted were members of the general public, including legislators, reporters, state workers and their families who feared they had contracted the virus and had the capability to further spread it.”
New York law prohibits officials from using their position to obtain “privileges or exemptions” for themselves or others, or to attempt to do so.
The stakes: The testing scandal comes after a series of other recent revelations knocked Cuomo from his media pedestal and threw his political future into doubt.
- The State Assembly this week opened an impeachment investigation to examine eight sexual harassment claims against Cuomo and allegations that he covered up the extent of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.
