Five women have shared previously undisclosed accounts accusing journalist and author Mark Halperin of sexual harassment.
According to reports, the then-political director at ABC News propositioned women for sex; three accuse him of pressing his genitals against them while clothed, and another says he kissed her and grabbed her breasts against her will.
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The women shared their stories with CNN’s Oliver Darcy, saying that they never told ABC News management out of fear of retribution. However, none of them said that he made promises in exchange for sex, nor did he suggest he would retaliate if they did not accept his advances. The women also asked that CNN maintain their anonymity.
A veteran journalist, Halperin has held senior positions at a range of news outlets besides ABC News, including anchoring a news show on Bloomberg TV and serving as a political analyst on NBC News and MSNBC. He is also the co-author of the 2010 best-selling book Game Change.
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On Wednesday night, Halperin released a statement to CNN, saying that “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. Under the circumstances, I’m going to take a step back from my day-to-day work while I properly deal with this situation.”
Halperin joined ABC News in the ‘80s, becoming political director in 1997. He left the station in 2007. No other allegations have emerged to date from the period following his tenure at ABC.