CNN has been rocked by another scandal as the network’s ratings remain at the bottom of cable news.
A top producer for CNN anchor Jake Tapper has been terminated after a sex scandal was uncovered. It allegedly involved him “hooking up with a subordinate.” The individual’s departure marks yet another blow for the embattled news organization, which has faced several high-profile controversies in recent times.
As CNN continues to weather a string of controversies, Federico Quadrani, Jake Tapper’s executive producer, was dismissed from the network after allegedly engaging in a romantic relationship with a subordinate. This latest scandal comes just over a year after the departure of former CNN chief Jeff Zucker, who resigned following revelations about his relationship with top executive Allison Gollust.
Sources indicate that news of Quadrani’s departure is quickly spreading within the company, with one insider cautioning that the details are likely to become public knowledge soon.
Fox News Digital received word from one CNN source that “complaints were made” about Quadrani.
According to reports, an individual provided direct evidence of an inappropriate relationship to CNN anchor Jake Tapper last Wednesday. Tapper promptly notified executives in the human resources department, leading to the termination of his longtime producer, Federico Quadrani, by that Friday.
Quadrani had worked closely with Tapper for over a decade, and was referred to by the New York Post as the anchor’s “right-hand man.” Tapper, who joined CNN in 2013 following a stint at ABC News, has not commented publicly on the matter.
CNN employees are reportedly stunned that a high-ranking producer like Quadrani could act so recklessly, particularly in light of the similar scandal that led to the departure of former CNN chief Jeff Zucker. One insider questioned how Quadrani could have been “so stupid” as to engage in a relationship with a subordinate.
Under the leadership of Zucker’s replacement, current CEO Chris Licht, CNN has sought to eliminate the sensationalism that characterized the network under previous management. This has involved severing ties with a number of prominent personalities, including media correspondent Brian Stelter, legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, and White House correspondent John Harwood. Ratings have remained a persistent problem for Licht, and he personally selected Jake Tapper to fill the vacant 9 p.m. slot in the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections.
Though CNN maintained that Tapper’s move to primetime was always intended to be temporary, reports suggest that Licht was keen to position Tapper as the “new face” of the network. Tapper himself has denied that he was auditioning for a permanent position, stating in an interview with Fox News that he had no intention of doing anything other than returning to his daytime program.