Elise Brisco, USA TODAY
CNN is firing Chris Cuomo several days after suspending the anchor for intimately helping his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, wade through sexual harassment scandals.
The cable news network tweeted about his termination Saturday saying his firing is "effective immediately."
Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week pending further evaluation of new information that came to light about his involvement with his brother's defense," the statement read. "We retained a respected law firm to conduct the review and have terminated him."
Cuomo responded to his termination 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 wrote. "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."
According to dozens of transcripts, video interviews and text messages released Monday by the New York Attorney General's Office, Chris Cuomo used his media "sources" and "other journalists" to look into the women who accused his brother, who then was the governor of New York, of sexual harassment.
CNN suspended the anchor Tuesday "indefinitely" after discovering the records released by the attorney general's office. Cuomo addressed his suspension during his Sirius XM radio show Wednesday calling the disciplinary action weighed against him "embarrassing."
"It hurts to even say it. It’s embarrassing. But I understand it. And I understand why some people feel the way they do about what I did. I’ve apologized in the past, and I mean it," Cuomo said on his SiriusXM radio show. "It’s the last thing I ever wanted to do was compromise any of my colleagues and do anything but help."
While Chris Cuomo admitted on air in May that he helped his brother and said it was a mistake, the records Monday showed a larger role that previously revealed, such as texting with the governor's top aides and advisers and trying to talk to other journalists about looming articles.
"When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother’s staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly. But we also appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and job second," CNN's statement on his suspension said.
The "Cuomo Prime Time" anchor had been with the news network for eight years, first getting his start with CNN's "New Day with Alisyn Camerota" in 2013. Since then he gained his own prime time program at the 9 ET slot becoming the network top-rated anchor.
Contributing: Cydney Henderson; Joseph Spector New York State Team