CNN probe complete, yet mysteries on Cuomo, Zucker remain

NEW YORK (AP) — CNN's parent company says it has completed its investigation into circumstances surrounding the firing of anchor Chris Cuomo and ouster of network chief Jeff Zucker. But for a news organization, it has chosen to leave questions unanswered.

The internal report, commissioned in September and prepared by the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore, will not be made public, WarnerMedia said on Wednesday.

WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar told CNN employees late Tuesday that the report had been finished over the weekend. His memo said that marketing executive Allison Gollust, the woman whose relationship with Zucker led to his downfall, would also be leaving the company.

Kilar said the probe, based on interviews with more than 40 people and a review of over 100,000 texts and emails, “found violations of company policies, including CNN's news standards and practices, by Jeff Zucker, Allison Gollust and Chris Cuomo.”

Cuomo, a former CNN prime-time host, was fired by Zucker in December after documents revealed how he had helped his brother, ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, strategize over how to fight charges of sexual misconduct. Zucker was forced to resign earlier this month because he had violated company policy in not revealing that his relationship with Gollust was romantic.

Kilar said in his memo that “this news is troubling, disappointing and, frankly, painful to read.”

But the statement did not specify the alleged violations of news standards. Even Kilar's memo wasn't completely clear — did each individual named violate both company policies and news standards? — and a WarnerMedia spokesman offered no clarification on Wednesday.

Zucker is prohibited from making further statements about his departure from CNN, according to someone familiar with the separation...