A New York Times report offers details about sexual assault allegations against former CNN host Chris Cuomo. Cuomo, of course, deserves the presumption of innocence, unless or until the allegations against him are proven. But Cuomo himself would disagree with that.
Cuomo did not agree that then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh deserved the presumption of innocence when he was accused, without evidence, of sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford. Presumption of innocence did not apply to Kavanaugh, you see, because he was not in court. Likewise, Cuomo was suspended and then fired by CNN, but he was not taken to court.
If Cuomo were really innocent, why isn’t he asking law enforcement to investigate him? After all, that was what he wondered about Kavanaugh. It was enough of a problem that a “50/50 proposition” of Kavanaugh’s guilt should keep him off of the Supreme Court, according to Cuomo, because of public “confidence” in the court. Would the same not apply to a 50/50 proposition of Cuomo’s guilt, given that he was posting a prime-time show for the “most trusted name in news.”
Perhaps CNN should have put the question of Cuomo’s guilt to a poll on Twitter.
Who gets the benefit of the doubt in Kavanaugh/Ford – presumption of innocence for him in court, what about here? Do you think Ford should be presumed to be telling the truth by coming forward?
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) September 19, 2018
Some of Cuomo’s complaints with Kavanaugh had nothing to do with the accusations. Kavanaugh was “a rabid righty, an attack dog, and a hothead,” according to Cuomo. Substitute “righty” for “lefty” and you have Cuomo down to a tee. Of course, he is not on trial, but his meetings within CNN could be dubbed “an assessment of character.” Rather than a “job interview,” as Kavanaugh was facing, perhaps Cuomo’s situation is a performance evaluation. To paraphrase Cuomo’s words about Kavanaugh, does he think after everything CNN has learned that it should have rewarded him by letting him keep his job?
And CNN learned plenty. Not only was Cuomo accused of sexual assault — his accuser is represented by Debra Katz, who also represented Blasey Ford, in case you wanted another comparison — but he helped craft statements and dig for information about the women who were accusing his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, of sexual harassment and assault.
It is not clear what reasons, if any, we should have to believe Cuomo. If we use the standards Cuomo set during Kavanaugh’s confirmation, there are none. Cuomo intentionally set the bar so Kavanaugh couldn’t clear it, unaware that he would then have to face it at CNN. It is impossible to feel any sympathy for him in his situation. For that, he has no one to blame but himself.
