Keith Olbermann suspended from MSNBC over Democratic donations

"Countdown" host Keith Olbermann has been suspended from MSNBC over recent donations he made to three Democratic candidates.

The website Politico called the cable network Thursday night and began asking about the contributions of $2,400 apiece to Democratic Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and Democratic Senate candidate Jack Conway in Kentucky. Conway lost, while Grijalva has declared victory; votes in the Gifford race are still being counted.

"I became aware of Keith's political contributions late last night," MSNBC President Phil Griffin said Friday in a statement. "Mindful of MSNBC's News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay."

In a statement, Olbermann said he had made the Arizona contributions on Oct. 28 after a discussion with a friend about that state's politics. "I did not privately or publicly encourage anyone to donate to these campaigns nor to any others in this election or any previous ones, nor have I previously donated to any political campaign at any level," the host said.

Newsgathering organizations generally frown on journalists openly supporting political candidates or causes, but Olbermann's partisanship — on full display in "Countdown" — has gotten MSNBC in trouble in the past. Although he anchored the network's election coverage Tuesday, critics complained about his lack of objectivity back in 2008, when he was temporarily replaced by David Gregory.

Friday's "Countdown" will be hosted by Chris Hayes, a familiar "Countdown" guest. An MSNBC representative said he had no information on when Olbermann might return to air.

— Scott Collins (Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Keith Olbermann. Photo credit: Peter Kramer / Associated Press.

 

 

Comments

[Verbalocity]

Ya gotta love the ppl in here who say they won't watch PMSNBC until Olbermann returns. Are you kidding me? Without the 5 ppl in here watching, their ratings will be down to, like, 10 viewers or something...LOL. Oh...and DEFUND NPR now!!

[David]

The guy's nothing but a freaking sportscaster who finagled a commentator position from which to spew. No big surprise here; hope they give him the axe.

[Barada]

Olbermann is the biggest fool on television. I have no use for him. I watched him long enough to form my opinion and never watch him anymore. But I don't think it is wrong for him to contribute to the candidates of his choice. After all, this is still America, isn't it?

[Jerry Obaseki]

Keith Olbermann and Racheal Madow is the reason i watch MSNBC, i hope they bring him back or MSNBC will soon be history.

[PK]

Olbermann is a joke! Him and that Rachel character are not journalist, they are so biased it's sickening. Kick Olbermann off the air and get a real unbiased reporter to I terview both sides, not just the out of touch Dems. Our Country is hurting and we were sold a bill of lies called "Change - Yes We Can". People like Keith Olbermann are as full of themselves as Bill OReily.... MSNBC pull your heads out of wherever they are at and get in the game. Fire this idiot!

[Heather]

This is BS! And yet fox news can donate to anyone in the Republican Party and no one bats an eye. Sean Hannity made contributions this past year to the Republican party, funny he didn't get suspended.

[GoodyTwoShoes]

Looks like Olbermann got "Juan Williamed."

[jkt]

SCOTUS ruled that corporations and labor unions could throw money at campaign ads because it otherwise stood in the way of their first amendment rights to free speech. Olbermann, working for a corporation -- who has first amendment rights -- is suspended because his corporation (who has the right to free speech) suppresses Olbermann's first amendment rights as an employee. Therefore, a corporation's rights trumps an individuals rights. And this is why Obama was against the SCOTUS ruling.

[JohnRJ08]

MSNBC did this to make it appear that they have superior ethics to FOX News, whose parent company, News Corp, gave $1 million to the RNC. Given that, and the fact that the Supreme Court recently ruled that corporations can give whatever they like to political campaigns, one has to wonder why Olbermann's rights as a private citizen are trumped by the "ethics" of a network that has built its audience with a pro-Democrat or liberal slant. If MSNBC is endeavoring to look like an unbiased, wholly neutral news network it is failing miserably. In that context, Olbermann can only be viewed as a sacrificial lamb.

[angie]

Im glad he's gone!! I get so tired of him disrespecting sara palin, glenn beck and many others. If it's not what he agrees with he throws a fit like a 3 year old. At least Bill Oriely doesn't take sides.. fair and balanced. I guess today's pinhead would have to be Kieth Olbermann...

[Daniel]

Anytime I watch Comrade Olbermann I just make sure I have a barf bag close by. The most bias dribble on the air! Ever!

[The End Is Near!!!]

Folks, it's just another example of how our country is spiraling out of control.

Nothing is certain these days... except the value of gold, which just continues to climb. Have you considered gold as an investment?

Let the consultants at GOLDLINE--dot- -com develop a strategy for you in how to bolster your fortune in uncertain times. Whether you favor coins, jewelry or bars, let GOLDLINE be your choice for your next gold purchase.

[GM]

Goodbye Mr. Olberman. Everybody has to play by the rules, even you. You should have stayed in L.A. doing sports. Kudos to CNBC for doing the right thing.

[Mr. Z]

Fox FAKE News gave hundreds of millions to Republicans. Olbermann losses his job for 2400 in private money!

MSNBC Manage is the new LOW of journalism.

Why not just close the whole station while you are at it...YOU IDIOT!!

[stewart]

A Badge of Honor Keith, a badge of honor.

[LKV]

Where my voice???????????????????????????????????

[Jamie Sweet]

Right wing nut jobs run the media. America doesn't have a chance.

[Patricia]

I'm a Keith Olbermann fan and I find this suspension outrageous! Yes, he is outspoken but then, so is Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh but they're not being raked across the carpet by FOX for their contributions, even though we know that FOX is the "official" news media of the former Bush administration and the current Republican and Tea Parties. Come on, people. If MSNBC wants to get rid of Keith, do it respectfully. Don't send him to bed without supper in front of the whole world. If it wasn't for Rachel Maddow, I'd boycott MSNBC.

[Michael Fox]

To all those taking this opportunity to trash Mr. Olbermann, please note that calling him an "idiot" is simply the wrong approach. If anything, it is his professorial, erudite style that motivates some with lesser verbal skills find him pompous or dull. To those people I would suggest that you may disagree with his opinions, but he is most certainly not an idiot.

No employer should have the right to dictate their employees' civic engagement. It is every American's right to participate in and contribute to political campaigns. Unfortunately, it is now the right of a person to contribute $2300 to a campaign, but a corporation (now granted "personhood" by the Supreme Court) may contribute as much as it (s/he?) wants. This imbalance should disturb every flesh-and-blood person.

GE/NBC should immediately end Olbermann's suspension; as it is he can not and did not coontribute anywhere near as much money to the election as they did. Do they really want some investigative journalists to look into where that corporation's donations went? Any publicist would urge them to drop it and let him go back to work. Fast.

[tulsadave]

The suspension of Keith Olbermann is ludicrous. He donated money to candidates he liked. He is not a reporter. It is an opinion show. MSNBC needs to get it's act together.
With that said, it could not have happened to a nicer guy.