Jake Tapper poised to replace Chris Cuomo on CNN

CNN host Jake Tapper is rumored to be the top choice to replace former star anchor Chris Cuomo after he was fired from the network Saturday. 

Tapper, 52, is one of many candidates vying for the position following Cuomo's departure as the network scrambles to find his replacement.

The network fired Cuomo, 51, for defending his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, against multiple sexual harassment charges. Chris Cuomo has since claimed CNN president Jeff Zucker knew about the arrangement and is preparing to sue the network for the $18 million left on his contract.

An insider source revealed this week that the position will most likely go to Tapper.   

'It’s Jake — by a long stretch,' the source told Radar. 'Jake star has been on the rise for a long time.

'He is the logical choice, but if he takes over, it will have a cascading effect because Jake’s unlikely to be able to continue State of the Union and remain lead DC anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent. In short, this really has screwed with CNN’s programming line-up.

'The only saving grace is that it is the end of the year and network bosses can position 2022 as a revamped line-up.'

Since Cuomo's departure, radio host Michael Smerconish is temporarily filling in the role for the week after being appointed by Zucker.

Other candidates for the position include the network's Reliable Sources anchor Brian Stelter.

However, the source noted, 'The only one who thinks Brian could do 9pm is Brian himself.'

MSNBC host Brian Williams also was noted as a possible choice, despite the fact that he previously left his position at NBC's Nightly News after 28 years, for making false claims about his work during the Iraq War in 2003. He hosted on MSNBC afterwards but plans to leave when his contract expires this month.

Another possibility is political commentator and writer S.E. Cupp, one of the sole rumored female candidates. She hosts S.E. Cupp: Unfiltered on the network.

Despite these rumors, the source has since dismissed Cupp as a possibility.

'Consider Zucker’s position, though,' the source noted. 'Can S.E. Cupp draw an audience big enough to beat Rachel Maddow at MSNBC or FOX News’ Sean Hannity? It’s unlikely. This could be the biggest decision of Zucker’s career.'

But the majority of networks, except for CNN, have a female anchor during their primetime lineup. 

A couple of women who are rumored options include CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell, and Laura Coates, CNN's senior legal analyst who has appeared on CNN Tonight With Don Lemon, as noted by The Wrap.   

Before Cuomo was suspended November 30, then fired, several of the network's staff members, including Tapper, were reportedly angry at CNN for not taking action sooner. 

'The people with knowledge of the situation said CNN boss Jeff Zucker had felt serious heat from infuriated talent, including Jake Tapper, over the last 24 hours and acted to yank Cuomo off the air while the review is carried out,' a source with the Daily Beast reported.

Tapper also previously told the New York Times that Cuomo had 'put the network in a bad spot.'  

Cuomo was fired from his position Saturday, days after New York Attorney General Letitia James released a trove of documents revealing that he had called his 'sources' about planned news reports regarding his brother as he tried to dig up dirt on at least one of the former governor's accusers.

Lawyers from the firm Cravath, Swaine and Moore reportedly told CNN officials that the documents gave the network legal grounds to fire the Cuomo Prime Time star.  

But it appears likely that an accusation that he sexually harassed a former co-worker at ABC was the final straw that led to his firing - a move which would appear to slightly ease the pressure on Zucker. 

The network was set to investigate an unspecified allegation dating back to Cuomo's time at ABC before he was fired, the Post report.

Debra S. Katz, a prominent attorney who also represents one of Andrew Cuomo's accusers, Charlotte Bennet, told CNN about a client with an allegation of sexual harassment against the younger Cuomo, according to the New York Times. 

The allegation is 'unrelated to the Gov. Andrew Cuomo matter,' Katz said in a statement.

Chris Cuomo's spokesman has insisted: 'These apparently anonymous allegations are not true.'

But the former CNN star also previously was accused of sexually harassing his former female superior at ABC back in 2005. 

In an op-ed for the Times in September, producer Shelley Ross wrote that Cuomo walked up to her, hugged her and firmly grasped her buttocks as her husband sat behind her.

'I can do this now that you're no longer my boss,' he said, according to Ross.

Karen Agnifilo, a lawyer and former chief assistant district attorney in Manhattan, told Fox News that Cuomo is likely to use the same defense as his brother.

'I think [Gov. Cuomo's] brother should do the Cuomo playbook: "We hugged, we kissed, we’re affectionate. It's how we were raised,'" Agnifilo said, adding that any case would have to proceed in public court.

'CNN will have to turn over things like emails and employee files and other discovery-related documents. And then people will have to sit for depositions and interrogatories, and depending on what comes out in all that will depend on whether they had knowledge or didn't have knowledge,' she said. 

'All that stuff comes out in the course of civil litigation, or they settle and it never comes out.'  

But California attorney Benjamin Eghbali previously told Fox News that Cuomo will be held to a standard similar to that of disgraced Miramax founder, Harvey Weinstein, if people decide to sue CNN alleging a cover-up.

'They're going to try to push the blame completely on Chris Cuomo, and say they had no knowledge,' Eghbali said of CNN.

'So, the plaintiff's job is going to be to show that there was some sort of knowledge on CNN's side and they looked the other way … If they cannot prove that burden, then they will not be able to hold CNN responsible.'  

CNN's statement cited only Cuomo's 'conduct with his brother’s defense' in its decision to terminate the anchor.

A spokesman for Cuomo told the Wall Street Journal Sunday: 'Mr. Cuomo has the highest level of admiration and respect for Mr. Zucker.

'They were widely known to be extremely close and in regular contact, including about the details of Mr. Cuomo's support for his brother.'

CNN disagreed with their former star's characterization of events.

'He has made a number of accusations that are patently false,' the network said in a statement. 'This reinforces why he was terminated for violating our standards and practices, as well as his lack of candor.'

A CNN insider on Monday also called Cuomo's claims 'absurd' and 'patently untrue,' noting: 'If Jeff had known all along, Chris would have been fired earlier, not suspended.'   

Earlier this year, Cuomo told CNN viewers and executives that he had indeed assisted his brother's team, but that his involvement had been minimal.

But last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James released text messages between Cuomo and his brother's staff showing that he was deeply involved in combatting the allegations and provided help in strategy and communications.

'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 network said in a statement.

The announcement further revealed that an outside law firm was enlisted by the network to aid in their investigation into how exactly their star anchor aided his brother, Andrew Cuomo, then the governor of New York, try to fight off a sexual harassment scandal this year.

'We retained a respected law firm to conduct the review, and have terminated him, effective immediately. While in the process of that review, additional information has come to light. Despite the termination, we will investigate as appropriate.'