ABC Washes Their Hands on Corn
Newly installed ABC News boss Kim Godwin told the staff that the network needed to investigate the handling and allegations made against then Good Morning America Senior Producer Micheal Corn.
Corn abruptly left ABC News and while rumors were swirling, he landed a job running Nexstar’s News Nation.
At least two women at ABC News are filing a lawsuit against Corn and ABC, accusing Corn of sexual misconduct.
When word of the lawsuit dropped, Godwin told the staff and the company would be conducting an investigation into the allegations.
But, it seems that those higher up the ladder at ABC and parent company Disney had other plans.
Disney executive Peter Rice decided not to conduct an external investigation of how the company handled misconduct claims against Corn.
The Wall Street Journal reports Simone Swink, the executive producer of “GMA,” said during a staff meeting on Monday that an outside probe into the departure of Michael Corn as senior executive producer of the top-rated morning news program “is not happening at this time,” according to a recording of the meeting.
Needless to say, a number of staffers are pissed that ABC appears to be sweeping this under the rug.
Also, it clearly cuts the legs out from under the newly hired Godwin and sets an example to the staff that her power at the network is limited.
Not the best optics for ABC or Disney.
Nexstar has not addressed the lawsuit against Corn and seems to be just ignoring it for now.