Well, I’ll be damned!
Politico: MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely without pay after POLITICO reported that he made three campaign contributions to Democratic candidates.
MSNBC President Phil Griffin said in a statement Friday: “I became aware of Keith's political contributions late last night. Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay."
Olbermann made campaign contributions to two Arizona members of Congress and failed Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Olbermann, who acknowledged the contributions in a statement to POLITICO, made the maximum legal donations of $2,400 apiece to Conway and to Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. He donated to the Arizona pair on Oct. 28 — the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on Olbermann’s “Countdown” show.
NBC has a rule against employees contributing to political campaigns, and a wide range of news organizations prohibit political contributions — considering it a breach of journalistic independence to contribute to the candidates they cover.A few quick points:
- I am not buying for one second that MSNBC did not know Olbermann was giving to the Dems.
- I think this suspension is just MSNBC keeping their options open for find a better replacement.
- NBC has rules concerning “journalistic independence”? You could have fooled me!
- Did anyone check for political contributions from Chris Matthews?
Moe Lane offers up a suitable replacement for Olbermann and as luck would have it, he is recently unemployed too!
Via: Memeorandum
Via: Poltico
Via: Moe Lane