MSNBC dumps journalist amid sexual assault allegations

MSNBC dropped political journalist Mark Halperin on Thursday after a report that he sexually harassed five women. The women, who worked with Halperin while he served as political director of ABC News in the early 2000s, told CNN that he touched them inappropriately while on the job. Halperin admitted to misconduct and apologized in a statement to CNN: “During this period, I did pursue relationships with women that I worked with, including some junior to me. I now understand from these accounts that my behavior was inappropriate and caused others pain. For that, I am deeply sorry and I apologize.” Halperin frequently appears on MSNBC and NBC News programs as a political analyst. On Thursday morning, the network said it removed Halperin as a contributor and found the allegations against him “very troubling.” Halperin, 52, worked for ABC News from 1997 to 2007. All the accusations alleged against him occurred during that time period. He joined MSNBC as a contributor in 2010.