Four days after sidelining Mark Halperin over allegations of workplace sexual harassment while he was at ABC News, NBC News has terminated Halperin’s contract.
NBC cutting ties with Halperin follows similar decisions by HBO and Showtime in the last several days. HBO killed a movie deal which would have adapted a 2016 election book by Halperin and his colleague John Heilemann. For Showtime, the duo co-hosted The Circus, which Showtime hasn’t yet renewed for another season, but has said Halperin won’t take part if it is renewed.
At least a dozen women have come forward since CNN first reported the allegations against Halperin Wednesday night. Most of the allegations stem from Halperin’s role as ABC News political director in the early and mid-2000s.
Among them, Lara Setrakian, a former ABC News staffer who was assigned as a junior reporter during the 2006 mid-terms. “He praised my professional work and invited me to his office to talk politics over a Diet Coke. When I got there, he kissed me and touched me inappropriately. I left that room shaken. I told some trusted colleagues but didn’t directly file a complaint. I was worried about the consequences of speaking out — just as many of my colleagues still are today.”
Halperin was brought on as senior political analyst last March. During the election he’d co-hosted With All Due Respect on Bloomberg, which was simulcast on MSNBC.
Halperin was previously senior political analyst back in 2010.