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Chris Cuomo’s texts were the final straw for CNN boss Jeff Zucker

CNN president Jeff Zucker hit the roof when he saw evidence showing that Chris Cuomo used his journalistic connections to try to helpšŸ° his brother beat the sexual harassment scandal that forced him to resign as governor, The ā™”Post has learned.

ā€œIt was the straw that broke šŸ’œthe camelā€™s back,ā€ one CNN insider said Wednesday.

ā€œZucker loved Chris, but the e-mails and texts š“ƒ²did it.ā€

Another CNN source said of Cuomo, ā€œHis biggest crime was he šŸ”„lied to Zucker.ā€

ā€œHe didnā€™t own up to it,ā€ the source said.

ā€œThereā€™s nothing worse than an eā™›-mail or text. Itā€™s in writing.ā€

CNN boss Jeff Zucker was surprised and angry by details in the New York AG’s report about Chris Cuomo’s efforts to help former Gov. Andrew Cuomo fight sex-harassment scandals. Getty Images for WarnerMedia

Sources said Zuckerā€™s shock and anger over the revelations in documents released by state Attorney General Letitia James mean that the ā€œCuomo Prime Timeā€ star is unlikšŸŒœely to keep his job, which pays him a reported $6 āœ…million a year.

CNN announced Tuesday evening that it had ā€œindefinitelyā€ suspended Cuomo, 51, ā€œpending further evaluationā€ of thousands of pages of records ļ·ŗfrom Jamesā€™ probe of fošŸ… rmer Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Insiders say the future of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo (right) looks doubtful after a trove of explosive texts and emails showed he used his journalistic resources to help his brother in a sex-harassment scandal. WireImage

ā€œI donā€™t see how he survives this,ā€ ašŸŒž third source said of šŸ’«Chris Cuomo.

ā€œThe buzz inside CNN is itā€™s over.ā€

On Wednesday morning, Zucker briefly brought up Chris Cuomoā€™s suspension dš’€°uring a daily news meeting with CNN staffers, The Washington Post reported.

ā€œI felt it was the appropriate course of action,ā€ Zucker said.

ā€œWe will keep you posted on how we dealį€£ with programming going forward.ā€

If CuošŸ¦¹moā€™s suspension becomes permanent, CNNā€™s Jake Tapper, who hosts ā€œThe Leadā€ from 4 p.ź¦Æm. to 6 p.m. weekdays, appears to be the front-runner to replace him, sources said.

Onš’€°e source said Tapper ā€” who publicly blasted Chris Cuomoā€™s ethics in May, after The Washington Post revealed he took part in strategy sessions with his brotherā€™s aides and advisers ā€” appeared to be gunning for the gig.

The level of Chris Cuomo’s involvement in defending his brother was revealed in a cache of emails that New York Attorney General Tish James had subpoenaed in its investigation of the former governor. New York Attorney General; Getty Images

CNNā€™s Don Lemon, who hosts the 10 p.m. shoź§™w that follows ā€œCuomo Prime Timeā€ is also considered a top contender, sources said, with oź¦¬ne adding that chief media correspondent Brian Ā­Stelter ā€œwants the job.ā€

Meanwhile, morningš” show, Stelter publicly predicted that Cuomo could return as early as next šŸ’«month.

Stelter said it was a ā€œcomplicated situationā€ because despite widespread outrage, ā€œa lot of viewersź¦ŗ .ā€‰.ā€‰. love ChrišŸŒ³s Cuomo and they want to see him back on the air.ā€

ā€œI think the bottom line is, Ā­Cuomo šŸ”œis on the bench for now,ā€ he saidšŸ¦‹.

ā€œWeā€™re heading into a holiday season. I think itā€™s possible he will be on the bench fšŸ’or several weeks. I think itā€™s possible heā€™ll be back in January.ā€

Cuomoā€™s suspeą¼’nsion was reported on CNN by fellow host Anderson Cooper while sitting next to the networkā€™s scandal-scarred chief legal analyst, Jeffrey Toobin.

In October 2020, Toobin took a leave of absence from CNN after getting caught masturbating š’€°during an online meeting with staffers from The New Yorker magazine and the WNYC radio station.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Although The New Yorker suspended and later fired Toobin after 27 years as one of its marquee writers, CNN wšŸ…elcomed him back eigšŸŒŠht months later.

The documents released Monday by James ā€” whose explosive, Aug. 3 sexual harassment report against Andrew Cuomo led him to resign a week later ā€” showed that Chris Cuomo pressed his news industry ā€œsourcesā€ for advance infoź¦‰rmation about upcoming reports about his older brother, išŸ½ncluding by Pulitzer Prize-winner Ronan Farrow.

The younger Cuomo also tried to dig up dirt on at least one š’accuser, Anna Ruch, after she told The New York Times that Andrew Cuomo made inappropriatešŸŽ€ advances during a wedding reception at which she was photographed cringing as he held both sides of her face while looming over her.

ā€œI have a lead on the wedding girl,ā€ Chris Cuomo texted his brotherā€™s top aide, Melissa Ā­DeRosa, on March 4, twšŸ”Æo days after šŸ·the Times report.

He later testified during questioning by Jamesā€™ investigators thšŸŽat, ā€œMy friź©µend had heard that maybe she had been put up to it.ā€