Chris Cuomo blasted the Democratic Party for pledging to go after corporations over price gouging — even as it charges big donors between $500,000 and $5 million for a luxury suite at its Chicago convention.
Cuomo — who was fired from his job at CNN in 2021 after he helped his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, navigate sexual harassment allegations — hit out at the Democrats during a nearly three-minute monologue on his current broadcast home NewsNation.
“A big theme here at the DNC is that they are going to go after corporate gouging and they’re going to go after corporations, whether it’s in taxes, largess, loopholes,” Cuomo said from the convention floor at the United Center during NewsNation’s coverage on Wednesday night.
Cuomo then pointed to the suites at the arena hosting the convention as the camera panned above.
“Look at the ring of suites, OK?” Cuomo said. “This is not unique to Democrats. There is a game of money.”
The former CNN star said that “we are strangled by the money reality in our politics.”
“Those suites start at $500 grand. You think there’s like a teacher group up in there?” Cuomo said. “You think it’s like the Cub Scouts of Columbia County, SC, that’s up in those boxes?”
Cuomo then revealed that NewsNation did not reserve a space in one of the suites — unlike other media outlets that sent reporters to Chicago to cover the convention.
“Why do you think I’m on the floor?” Cuomo said, adding: “NewsNation is not a broke company. [Parent company] Nexstar is a massive organization.”
“”We are corporate media [but] we don’t have one of those boxes because that’s the game,” Cuomo said. “You pay to play.”
Cuomo then noted that the suites “were filled with the same people that they say they’re going to regulate.”
“They are literally looking down on the faithful…and being told ‘We’re going to make them pay their fair share’,” Cuomo said.
He added that people attending the convention who have seats in the luxury suites pay between half a million to $5 million.
Cuomo also said that they “probably get hotel suites that are gifted to the party.”
“The same thing is true with the Republican side,” Cuomo said before asking sarcastically: “And they’re going to take them down?”
Cuomo noted that Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, raised hundreds of millions of dollars since President Biden dropped out of the race.
The NewsNation host referenced a Politico item which linked to a page published by the Chicago 2024 Host Committee detailing the “sponsorship levels” for those seeking to attend the convention.
Donors who ponied up $100,000 were given two credentials to the “honored guest super suite” as well as a podium preview ticket and a “premium” hotel room.
A $500,000 contribution would have won you 20 suite credentials, podium preview tickets and five premium hotel rooms.
A $1 million payment would have netted 20 suite credentials, podium preview tickets and 10 premium hotel rooms.
For $1.5 million, donors would have received the same number of credentials and 20 premium hotel rooms.
A $2.5 million contribution would have gotten you 28 premium hotel rooms while a $5 million gift would have been good for 40 premium hotel rooms.
The Post has sought comment from the Democratic Party organizers of the convention.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
