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

[Harold Draper]

Keith Olbermann is great in what he does I will miss his show this man has done a great job counting the right wing in this country and pointing foxs miss information.

[Rickey Clemons]

Put Keith back on the air

[West Valley Dave]

The fact is that he broke his company's code of ethics, plain and simple. They had every right to take action for this embarrassment of a talking head.

[G. Hildebrandt]

Are you serious? There are few commentators on any network who actually care about the people in this country. Keith Olbermann being one who does. I am under the impression that it is the right of citizenship to support political candidates. A network that takes that right away from its employees, is not one in which I will be supporting in the future, unless he is reinstated. We watch these shows to learn from those whose values we share. Please reconsider!

zb3qyg

[Mary Carter]

If MSNBC suspends Olbermann for giving money to a few Democrats, then Fox should flat-out fire Glenn Beck for pushing the idiotic Republican agenda and lying every day.

[Tom Peranteau]

No law has trumped any rights to free speech here. Obermann can give to any party he wishes and NBC can employ anyone they wish. If Obermann wants to give to the party of his choice, he can quit or be fired. This is not a legal issue, and anyone who thinks it is, is either a moron or misinformed.

[Evad the Slayer]

Nothing new about the fact that he is, and has always, been in bed with liberals. I turned him off long ago and switched to Fox where at least both sides get aired. He should be canned with zero severance pay and no pension or health benefits. Let him get in line for ObamaCare and see how he likes it then. LOL

[Jennifer555]

NBC employees and union representatives, run, don't walk to your nearest labor law class action lawyer. NBC's policies, under which Keith Olbermann has been punished, are not only illegal in California, they are classified as a crime.

There are at least 5 NBC controlled companies presently doing business in California, including NBC News Bureaus, Inc., NBC Studios, Inc. and NBC Universal, Inc. In obtaining authorization from the California Secretary of State to do business in California, NBC consented to being bound by California law.

California's Labor Code is very explicit that NBC's policies and practices are flat out illegal:

"1101. No employer shall make, adopt, or enforce any rule, regulation, or policy:

(a) Forbidding or preventing employees from engaging or participating in politics or from becoming candidates for public office.

(b) Controlling or directing, or tending to control or direct the political activities or affiliations of employees.

1102. No employer shall coerce or influence or attempt to coerce or
influence his employees through or by means of threat of discharge or loss of employment to adopt or follow or refrain from adopting or following any particular course or line of political action or political activity.

1103. Any employer who violates this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable, in the case of an individual, by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one year or a fine of not to exceed $1,000 or both and, in the case of a corporation, by a fine of not to exceed $5,000."

From an employer's point of view, the Labor Code also has a particularly brutal "Public Attorney General Law" which allows even just one NBC employee to bring a lawsuit against NBC, and obtain an injunction, damages and attorneys fees and costs against the company.

The California appellate courts have said that your free speech rights or First Amendment Rights cannot be qualified or bargained away as a condition of your employment.

[Ricardo Derfler]

Keith Olbermann earns 7+ million dollars a year, more than one half of the CEO's of the Fortune 500. Yet he claims he's for little guy and gal. Isn't it interesting that the slick talking head assails money greedy corporations when he's just as money hungry and has the fancy NY apartment like the rich elites he hammers. I bet he and Donald Trump meet at the steam room and laugh about how they've cashed in on bube tubers willing to buy their propaganda. They only need viewers to make the greedy corporate advertisers happy. Your just being used and played. Wake up.

[Marcia D'Orazi]

so corporations can make unlimited donations to any candidate they choose, but an INDIVIDUAL cannot? where are Keith's first amendment rights? any clause in any contract that tries to prohibit your constitutional rights are neither legal nor enforceable

[richard schumacher]

Are they nuts? This sort of rule-bound authoritarianism we expect from Fox News, not from MSNBC. No viewer thinks that Olbermann is, or should be, apolitical. We *want* him to be partisan!

[davo babilonia]

So, The Witch Hunt Begins...

[LA Observer]

Isn't he a sports caster from NBC?

[it's just us]

Are you kidding me??? Keith is one of the best comentators on MSNBC, so he donated $2,400.00 to 3 different democrates, like it made a lot of difference in their campaigns, MSNBC must have lost it's mind!!!!! Bring him back or your gonna lose a lot of views and maybe we'll be switching to FOX News. LMAO

[DL Thompson]

I am a Constitutionalist, and, therefore, no fan of Keith Olbermann's version of journalism. Having said this, I think it is abhorrent that MSNBC would infringe on the free speech of someone whose journalistic impartiality would never come into question. He is a commentator with a very specific, and obvious, point of view, so there is no way anyone would ever mistake him for an objective observer.

Mr Olbermann has every right to back up his on-air commentary with political donations. If we go down this path, who will be the next to be silenced ...?

[Dego]

Keith Olbermann is about as honest and ethical as I always thought he was.

He has no originality as a broadcaster... he is merely the opposite of OReilly. The big difference is that, right or wrong, OReilly is entertaining.

Keith Olbermann won't be missed.

[Rog Williams]

Keith Olbermann is my hero. He is one of the best journalists on cable TV period and his many fans expect to see him back on the Count down as soon as possible. He is one of the only few truth tellers on cable TV these days. I love his show and without Keith hosting count down you can forget about me, my family and friend watching the show. With all the undisclosed money being given to crazy candidate these days, what Keith did was a very small thing. (WE WON’T KEITH OLBERMANN BACK) so msnbc with all do respect work it out with him ASAP. And for the record, we don’t give a damn what the Conservatives think about it.

[bill rubenstein]

Yeah-- We didn't know Keith Olberman was a liberal! And we didn't know that American journalistic standards of "neutrality" are a code word for hypocrisy.

[bill antonich]

I rarely if ever make comments on the internet but felt compelled to do so when I heard about Keiths suspension.
This is the best news gathering team on television and Keith is a strong link in this great chain you have put together. I hope he can return to Countdown soon. Along with Chris, Ed, Rachael and Laurence I get the facts and know they are correct. Please keep this great team together. They are like the old New York Yankees...................They are winners

Th;ank you

[sam olague]

FIRE THE JERK HE KNOWS THE RULE.....OR IT ONLY APPLYS TO THE OTHER EMPLOYEES....