Fired Chris Cuomo Wants CNN to Pay Remainder of Contract

CNN's Chris Cuomo has hired lawyers and is preparing to file a lawsuit against the network for the remainder of his four-year contract, the New York Post reported.

But CNN has "no intention of paying [Chris] Cuomo a penny," a source told the news outlet.

"If he gets a settlement, there would be uproar," the source added.

Another source said, "CNN has a standard morality clause in their contract that says if the employee does anything of disrepute, they can be immediately fired."

The deal is reportedly worth $6 million annually.

The report comes two days after CNN fired Cuomo for assisting his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as the politician faced sexual harassment allegations earlier this year.

Cuomo issued a statement on Twitter calling the decision disappointing.

"This is not how I want my time at CNN to end, but I have already told you why and how I helped my brother," he said. "So let me now say as disappointing as this is, I could not be more proud of the team at 'Cuomo Prime Time' and the work we did as CNN's #1 show in the most competitive time slot."

Even with the firing, CNN said it will continue to investigate Cuomo's conduct "as appropriate."

As women came forward accusing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, his brother, despite being a CNN anchor, Chris Cuomo pressed sources for information on the accusers and reported back to the governor's staff on what he was learning, according to The New York Times.

He was active in helping craft their response to the charges, according to emails and a transcript of his testimony to investigators working for state Attorney General Letitia James. Her office claimed Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women; the former governor resigned in August to avoid a likely impeachment trial.

Cuomo, the top-rated anchor at CNN, is also being investigated by the network for alleged sexual misconduct after a former colleague came forward with accusations.

• CNN Fires Chris Cuomo Effective Immediately
• DOJ Widens Probe of Andrew Cuomo