Cuomo's 10 Biggest Allegations From His CNN Lawsuit

Former CNN television host and personality Chris Cuomo has filed a demand for arbitration in his $125 wrongful termination claim against the liberal news outlet, accusing several former colleagues and executives of engaging in a "campaign to smear" him.

The Wednesday court filing charged CNN anchors, reporters and senior management with hypocrisy, ethical violations, and lying.

1. Zucker and Gollust Obtained Favors from Andrew Cuomo

He said former CNN President Jeff Zucker and then-marketing executive Allison Gollust broached ethics by using their relationship with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to obtain COVID tests at a time when they were not readily available.

2. Zucker and Gollust Advised Andrew Cuomo

Zucker and Gollust "acted as advisors to Cuomo…by providing him with talking points and strategies for responding to statements made by then-President Donald Trump."

3. Warner Exec Kilar Accused Chris Cuomo of Journalism Malpractice

Jason Kilar, the chief executive of CNN’s parent company, WarnerMedia, defamed Cuomo by suggesting he failed to uphold "highest standards of journalistic integrity at CNN."

4. Tapper Said Chris Cuomo Threatened Zucker

CNN anchor Jake Tapper defamed Cuomo by accusing him of putting CNN "in a bad spot" and saying he threatened Zucker by suggesting he’d leak damaging information about the CNN head unless he was given severance.

5. Tapper Unethically Urged Republican to Not Run Against Dem

Cuomo said Tapper urged congressional candidate Sean Parnell to not to run against Rep. Conor Lamb, but to run in a "safer, more heavily Republican district."

6. Lemon Accused Chris Cuomo of Unethical Behavior

CNN host Don Lemon defamed him by claiming that Cuomo broke "journalistic standards and then [was] paid handsomely for it."

7. Accused Lemon of 'Flagrant' Ethical Violations

He accused Lemon of "a flagrant breach of journalistic ethics" by alerting actor Jussie Smollett via text message that Chicago police did not believe Smollett’s allegations of suffering a racist, homophobic attack.

8. Accused Cooper of Defamation

Cuomo said Anderson Cooper defamed him when he accused him of breaching ethical standards, declaring "[J]ournalists have strict ethics and strict rules that we are to abide by, and if you don’t abide by them, there are repercussions."

9. Accused Stelter of Defamation

Cuomo said CNN media reporter Brian Stelter defamed him by reporting that internal CNN sources accused him of "trying to burn the place down" and that Cuomo "would seek vengeance for his termination."

10. CNN Saw Cuomo’s Value Drop After Brother Resigned

Cuomo attributed the accusations against him – and his Dec. 4 firing – to the fact that his brother’s resignation from the New York governor’s office in the middle of 2021 damaged his worth to CNN. "But because [Chris] Cuomo was so strongly linked to Gov. Cuomo, whose political standing and corresponding value to CNN had turned dramatically, CNN falsely claimed that Cuomo violated its policies and practices as an excuse to terminate his contract," he said.

• Legal Filing: Chris Cuomo Demanding $125M From Arbitration With CNN
• Report: CNN in Talks to Pay Chris Cuomo $9M in Hush Money to Protect Zucker, Network