William Cohen Stood ‘100 Percent’ Behind Keeping Moonves At CBS

Les Moonves, Chief of CBS Image by Getty Images

By Alyssa Fisher September 26, 2018

A longtime CBS board member and outspoken defender of former chairman Les Moonves has stepped down from his post, the Associated Press reported.

William Cohen, the former Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton, stood behind the television executive after he was accused by several women of sexual misconduct. Moonves resigned after six more women came forward.

Cohen was adamant that the board should stand by Moonves when the first allegations emerged, The New York Times reported.

“We are going to stay in this meeting until midnight if we need to until we get an agreement that we stand 100 percent behind our C.E.O., and there will be no change in his status,” he reportedly said during a meeting.

Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at fisher@forward.com

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