Nearly two decades ago, MSNBC paid a settlement to a staffer after she accused Hardball host Chris Matthews of sexual harassment, reports the Daily Caller. Matthews received a formal reprimand at the time.
Two sources familiar with the situation told The Daily Caller that Matthews paid $40,000 to settle with an assistant producer on his show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, in 1999 after she accused him of harassment. An MSNBC spokesperson contested that claim to the Caller, saying the company instead paid significantly less as part of a severance package.
The woman complained to CNBC executives about Matthews making inappropriate comments and jokes about her while in the company of others.
The MSNBC spokesman said that they thoroughly reviewed the situation at the time and that Matthews received a formal reprimand. Based on people who were involved in matter, the network concluded that the comments were inappropriate and juvenile but were not intended to be taken as propositions.
Matthews, who has has hosted Hardball since 1997, oogled Melania Trump in a hot-mic moment during the election. He’s the latest in a growing list of influential media figures to be accused of sexual misconduct, and the third high-profile case for NBC.
In late November, NBC fired Today host Matt Lauer, who was the highest paid personality in TV news at the time – after the network received a “detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.” Several other women followed suit, telling Variety that NBC ignored several complaints to executives. Lauer was found to have kept a bunch of sex toys in his office, and reportedly had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his door from the inside. Creepy.
The network also cut ties with veteran political journalist and “Game Change” author Mark Halperin, who was accused groping, sexual assault and other forms of sexual harassment by a dozen women he worked with during his time with ABC news. “We find the story and the allegations very troubling,” MSNBC said in a statement to CNN, which broke the story, adding “Mark Halperin is leaving his role as a contributor until the questions around his past conduct are fully understood.”
Last but not least for the network, NBC fired Senior VP Matt Zimmerman for failing to report relationships he had with women who worked for him.
Other men in media accused of sexual harassment or worse include; Bill O’Reilly, Charlie Rose and NYT political reporter Glenn Thrush.
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Chrissy is something of a local joke here in DC
His husband Kathleen recently lost her congressional primary to Jamie Raskin. Let that sink in. They weren’t libtard enough for their own fucking district.
Fake news..
Chris Mathews is more feminine than most women. I wouldn’t be surprised if his sexual harassment targets were men.
Paying off accusers is not exactly playing Hardball.
Men are simply evil; women would never do this kind of thing. Uh, except with teenage boys in public schools. Well, never mind.
Macron never complained about it.