CNN executive Allison Gollust resigned after an investigation into former network boss Jeff Zucker and host Chris Cuomo found they had all violated company policies.
Ms Gollust, the CNN chief marketing officer, had been in a consensual relationship with Mr Zucker, who resigned as president of the news network earlier this month for failing to declare it.
“Earlier today Allison Gollust resigned from CNN following the conclusion of the Company’s investigation into issues associated with Chris Cuomo and former Governor Andrew Cuomo,” TimeWarner CEO Jason Kilar announced in a memo to staff on Tuesday.
“Based on interviews of more than 40 individuals and a review of over 100,000 texts and emails, the investigation found violations of Company policies, including CNN’s News Standards and Practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust, and Chris Cuomo.
“We have the highest standards of journalistic integrity at CNN, and those rules must apply to everyone equally. Given the information provided to me in the investigation, I strongly believe we have taken the right actions and the right decisions have been made.”
Ms Gollust publicly acknowledged the relationship when Mr Zucker resigned.
“Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years. Recently, our relationship changed during COVID. I regret that we didn’t disclose it at the right time,” she said in a statement at the time.
And she slammed the network’s owner, WarnerMedia, as she left the company.
“WarnerMedia’s statement tonight is an attempt to retaliate against me and change the media narrative in the wake of their disastrous handling of the last two weeks,” she said.
“It is deeply disappointing that after spending the past nine years defending and upholding CNN’s highest standards of journalistic integrity, I would be treated this way as I leave.
“But I do so with my head held high, knowing that I gave my heart and soul to working with the finest journalists in the world.”
