New York Daily News
A former producer accused Chris Matthews of making sexually inappropriate comments about her when she worked on his show in 1999, an MSNBC spokeswoman confirmed.
The woman worked as an assistant producer on “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” which at the time was on CNBC, according to the Daily Caller, which first reported the allegation.
She reported to CNBC executives that Matthews was making lewd jokes and remarks to other people about her, the MSNBC spokeswoman confirmed to the Daily News.
Executives fully looked into the matter and dealt with it right away, the spokeswoman added.
The Daily Caller reported the woman received $40,000 to settle the matter.
An MSNBC representative refuted the figure when commenting to the conservative-leaning news website, saying it was much lower.
The woman later left the network, but it wasn’t clear if it was over Matthews.
When contacted by the News, the MSNBC spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the separation-linked payment.
Matthews, whose show was later taken over by MSNBC where it still runs, was reprimanded for the inappropriate statements.
Executives found Matthews acted unwisely, but determined he wasn’t trying to proposition the woman, the spokeswoman told the News.
News of the claim comes as MSNBC and NBC News deal with similar complaints against top figures.
Veteran “Today” co-host Matt Lauer was abruptly fired late last month after a woman complained to NBC News about repeated sexual harassment.
Reports after his departure alleged he preyed on his female colleagues — and even had a button at his desk that would lock his office from the inside.
That came after NBC News parted ways with Matt Zimmerman, an executive who reportedly failed to report a relationship he had with a colleague.
And in October, MSNBC political analyst Mark Halperin was nudged out after several women accused him of sexual harassment while he was political director at ABC News.
The report about the accusation also comes amid a broader movement of women speaking out about sexual harassment in Hollywood, politics and other fields.
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