Mark Halperin Quits As MSNBC Pundit After 5 Women Accused Of Sexual Harassment

Mark Halperin returned from disgrace, saying that he would only answer to people who are ‘perfect’ Image by Getty

By Ari Feldman October 26, 2017

Mark Halperin, veteran journalist and political analyst for MSNBC and Bloomberg TV is leaving MSNBC after being accused by five women of sexual harassment, CNN reported. MSNBC announced early Thursday that Halperin — who frequently appears on their program “Morning Joe” — was leaving the network.

“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.”

Women who spoke to CNN accused Halperin of propositioning them for sex and grabbing their breasts. Three women accuse him of pressing his genitals against them while fully clothed.

The accusations all date back to Halperin’s time at ABC, when he was political director for the network. He had a say in personnel decisions and had influence over political coverage. Some of the women said they did not speak out because they feared risking their careers.

Halperin, 52, is the author of “Game Change,” a book about the 2008 presidential race which was made into a movie starring Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin, and is a former editor of Bloomberg News.

Contact Ari Feldman at feldman@forward.com or on Twitter @aefeldman.

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. He covers Jewish religious organizations, synagogue life, anti-Semitism and the Orthodox world. If you have any tips, you can email him at feldman@forward.com. Follow him on Twitter @aefeldman.

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