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Turnabout is fair play, Jose....
MSNBC said Friday that it is suspending “Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough for two days after he acknowledged giving eight previously unknown $500 contributions to friends and family members running for state and local offices during his tenure at the network, a violation of parent NBC’s ban on political contributions by employees without specific permission from the network president.
“I recognize that I have a responsibility to honor the guidelines and conditions of my employment, and I regret that I failed to do so in this matter,” Scarborough said in a statement. “I apologize to MSNBC and to anyone who has been negatively affected by my actions,” said, adding that after he was made aware of some of the contributions, he called MSNBC president Phil Griffin “and agreed with Phil's immediate demand of a two-day suspension without pay.”
POLITICO had sought comment from the network after finding evidence that Scarborough gave at least five separate previously unknown $500 contributions while serving as an MNBC host – all to Republican candidates to whom he was close who were running for state legislative seats in or near Scarborough’s hometown of Pensacola, Fla. After being contacted by POLITICO about the donations, Scarborough voluntarily disclosed three other $500 contributions to a friend running for county office in Florida.
Scarborough’s suspension, during which he will not be paid, will end Wednesday, Griffin said in a statement, adding “As Joe recognizes, it is critical that we enforce our standards and policies.”
The disciplinary action against Scarborough, a former Republican congressman who also writes a weekly column for POLITICO, came two weeks after MSNBC announced it was suspending “Countdown” host Keith Olbermann “indefinitely” for three contributions he made to Democratic candidates during the 2010 campaign cycle. The network later reduced the suspension to two days.
At the time of Olbermann’s suspension Griffin said he had a conversation with Scarborough about political giving. “In my conversation with Joe two weeks ago, he did not recall these contributions,” Griffin said.
In his own statement, Scarborough said that “despite the fact that these races were local and not relevant to my work at MSNBC I have been told they violated MSNBC guidelines,” and that he had agreed to the suspension.
“I recognize that I have a responsibility to honor the guidelines and conditions of my employment, and I regret that I failed to do so in this matter. I apologize to MSNBC and to anyone who has been negatively affected by my actions.”
He said he had no interest in the campaigns to which he gave to “other than being kind to longtime friends.”
Olbermann’s suspension provoked outrage from many supporters of the former sportscaster, whose liberal opinions have helped define MSNBC as a counterpoint to Fox News with its conservative show hosts such as Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly. Other critics said it was pointless to enforce the standards of objective news organizations with hosts whose entire appeal is based on their ideological viewpoints.
The five contributions found by POLITICO all were made since 2005 and went to Republican candidates close to the conservative host and were running for state legislative seats in or near Scarborough’s hometown of Pensacola, Fla. They include a pair of checks to Scarborough’s brother George Scarborough, who twice ran for state House, and three to a father-son legislative duo who have known Joe Scarborough since the mid-1990s.
MSNBC said that when Scarborough went through his records, he found three additional $500 contributions to David Stafford, his former congressional chief of staffwho was running for Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
The donations found by POLITICO in a search of the Florida Division of Election’s campaign finance database . Some were recorded in variations of Scarborough’s full name, Charles Joseph Scarborough. In each case, his wife, Susan Scarborough gave matching contributions on the same day.
MSNBC said Friday that it is suspending “Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough for two days after he acknowledged giving eight previously unknown $500 contributions to friends and family members running for state and local offices during his tenure at the network, a violation of parent NBC’s ban on political contributions by employees without specific permission from the network president.
“I recognize that I have a responsibility to honor the guidelines and conditions of my employment, and I regret that I failed to do so in this matter,” Scarborough said in a statement. “I apologize to MSNBC and to anyone who has been negatively affected by my actions,” said, adding that after he was made aware of some of the contributions, he called MSNBC president Phil Griffin “and agreed with Phil's immediate demand of a two-day suspension without pay.”
POLITICO had sought comment from the network after finding evidence that Scarborough gave at least five separate previously unknown $500 contributions while serving as an MNBC host – all to Republican candidates to whom he was close who were running for state legislative seats in or near Scarborough’s hometown of Pensacola, Fla. After being contacted by POLITICO about the donations, Scarborough voluntarily disclosed three other $500 contributions to a friend running for county office in Florida.
Scarborough’s suspension, during which he will not be paid, will end Wednesday, Griffin said in a statement, adding “As Joe recognizes, it is critical that we enforce our standards and policies.”
The disciplinary action against Scarborough, a former Republican congressman who also writes a weekly column for POLITICO, came two weeks after MSNBC announced it was suspending “Countdown” host Keith Olbermann “indefinitely” for three contributions he made to Democratic candidates during the 2010 campaign cycle. The network later reduced the suspension to two days.
At the time of Olbermann’s suspension Griffin said he had a conversation with Scarborough about political giving. “In my conversation with Joe two weeks ago, he did not recall these contributions,” Griffin said.
In his own statement, Scarborough said that “despite the fact that these races were local and not relevant to my work at MSNBC I have been told they violated MSNBC guidelines,” and that he had agreed to the suspension.
“I recognize that I have a responsibility to honor the guidelines and conditions of my employment, and I regret that I failed to do so in this matter. I apologize to MSNBC and to anyone who has been negatively affected by my actions.”
He said he had no interest in the campaigns to which he gave to “other than being kind to longtime friends.”
Olbermann’s suspension provoked outrage from many supporters of the former sportscaster, whose liberal opinions have helped define MSNBC as a counterpoint to Fox News with its conservative show hosts such as Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly. Other critics said it was pointless to enforce the standards of objective news organizations with hosts whose entire appeal is based on their ideological viewpoints.
The five contributions found by POLITICO all were made since 2005 and went to Republican candidates close to the conservative host and were running for state legislative seats in or near Scarborough’s hometown of Pensacola, Fla. They include a pair of checks to Scarborough’s brother George Scarborough, who twice ran for state House, and three to a father-son legislative duo who have known Joe Scarborough since the mid-1990s.
MSNBC said that when Scarborough went through his records, he found three additional $500 contributions to David Stafford, his former congressional chief of staffwho was running for Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
The donations found by POLITICO in a search of the Florida Division of Election’s campaign finance database . Some were recorded in variations of Scarborough’s full name, Charles Joseph Scarborough. In each case, his wife, Susan Scarborough gave matching contributions on the same day.