Former ABC News Boss Accused of Sexual Harassment
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Move over Fox News, give ABC a turn.
5 women have come forward to say that while at ABC News, then Political Director Mark Halperin sexually harassed them.
"I went up to have a soda and talk and -- he just kissed me and grabbed my boobs," one woman said. "I just froze. I didn't know what to do."
CNN reports that the women say that Halperin was propositioning employees for sex to kissing and grabbing one's breasts against her will. Three of the women who spoke to CNN described Halperin as, without consent, pressing an erection against their bodies while he was clothed. Halperin denies grabbing a woman's breasts and pressing his genitals against the three women.
"During this period, I did pursue relationships with women that I worked with, including some junior to me," Halperin said in a statement to CNN Wednesday night. "I now understand from these accounts that my behavior was inappropriate and caused others pain. For that, I am deeply sorry and I apologize. Under the circumstances, I'm going to take a step back from my day-to-day work while I properly deal with this situation."
Still, while they no longer work with him, Halperin continues to wield influence in politics and media. The women who spoke to CNN said it was for this reason that they shared their accounts on the condition of anonymity. Others also said they still feel embarrassed about what happened to them and did not want to be publicly associated with it.
Halperin left ABC News in 2007 for Time magazine and joined Bloomberg in 2014 for a reported salary of $1 million. At Bloomberg, he co-anchored "With All Due Respect" with journalist John Heilemann. The show was simulcast on MSNBC for a period.
Halperin also found great success writing books. In 2010, he co-authored "Game Change" with Heilemann. The duo later published "Double Down: Game Change 2012," reportedly receiving a multi-million dollar advance. Halperin and Heilemann are currently working on a third installment about the 2016 election.
"For the last 11 years, I have had to watch this guy find success in every other news organization," one of the women who said she experienced harassment told CNN.
"Mark left ABC News over a decade ago, and no complaints were filed during his tenure," ABC News said in a statement provided to CNN after this article was published.
Halperin who is not a contributor at MSNBC is leaving that role. MSNBC released this statement: "Mark Halperin is leaving his role as a contributor until the questions around his past conduct are fully understood."
H/T CNN
