CNN

CNN has suspended pro-Trump contributor Paris Dennard after the Washington Post published a sexual misconduct accusation stemming from his time working at Arizona State University in 2014.

“We are aware of reports of accusations against Paris Dennard. We are suspending Paris, effective immediately, while ‎we look into the allegations,” a CNN spokesperson told TheWrap late Wednesday evening.

According to the Post, Dennard was ousted from the school’s McCain Institute for International Leadership after an internal investigation after a former student accused Dennard of pressing her for sex.

Also Read: After Sam Seder Returns to MSNBC, Jeffrey Lord Asks, What About Me?

“He ‘pretended to unzip his pants in her presence, tried to get her to sit on his lap, and made masturbatory gestures,'” the report said according to a copy that the paper obtained.

Dennard did not immediately respond to inquiries from TheWrap over either the 2014 accusation or the CNN suspension, but he told the Post that he had never seen the full findings from the internal investigation and suggested that his dismissal at the time was politically motivated.

“I cannot comment on items I have never seen regarding allegations I still believe to be false,” he told the paper in an email. “This is sadly another politically motivated attempt to besmirch my character, and shame me into silence for my support of President Trump and the GOP.”

Also Read: Don Lemon on Trump's 'Dumbest Man' Tweet: 'This President Traffics in Racism'

Dennard, who held various positions in the George W. Bush White House, has become known for his pro-Trump commentary on CNN. He is also a frequent opinion contributor to The Hill and makes regular appearances on the NPR program “Here & Now.”

Dennard came to wider public prominence earlier this week after a tough exchange with CNN contributor Philip Mudd, which earned him a direct praise from the president of the United States. Trump also blasted Mudd, a former CIA operative, and warned that he might revoke his security clearance.

Just watched former Intelligence Official Phillip Mudd become totally unglued and weird while debating wonderful @PARISDENNARD over Brennan’s Security Clearance. Dennard destroyed him but Mudd is in no mental condition to have such a Clearance. Should be REVOKED? @seanhannity

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2018

If Dennard is ultimately fired, he will become the latest pro-Trump conservative to leave the network in what has become an increasingly troubled role. Last year, Jeffrey Lord — also known for his defense of the president — was fired by CNN after he tweeted “Sieg Heil” at a critic. In January, his replacement, Ed Martin, was also dropped from the network after a four-month stint.

Mike Cernovich, a Timeline: From Choking Advice to Pizzagate to Firings (Photos)

Maybe you'd never heard of right-wing provocateur Mike Cernovich before last week, when he helped get James Gunn fired from the next "Guardians of the Galaxy" film by highlighting Gunn's old Twitter jokes about rape and pedophilia. But Cernovich himself has a long history online, filled with both successes and statements he has since distanced himself from -- for reasons that will be obvious.
Advice on Choking Women

Before gaining fame as a Trump superfan, Cernovich got his start in the men's rights and pick-up artist community. His advice column, published on his blog "Danger and Play," included suggestions on the proper way to "choke" women during sex. This entry from December 2011 has since been deleted: "Choking works because it’s a show of dominance. Women only want to have consensual sex with men they know could rape them."
Pizzagate

Cernovich first came to wide public attention over his promotion of a conspiracy theory during the 2016 election that suggested that a pedophile ring was being run out of the basement of a Washington, D.C. pizzeria. The story was bunk, and Cernovich has moved to distance himself from Pizzagate.
Will Sommer/Twitter
John Conyers

Cernovich's biggest score of all probably wasn't James Gunn, but John Conyers. A tip provided by Cernovich to BuzzFeed about accusations of sexual misconduct forced the Democrat to resign his seat in disgrace in December 2017.
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Sam Seder

Mike Cernovich targeted the MSNBC contributor over a years-old joke about his daughter being raped. MSNBC dropped Seder in December 2017, but reinstated him after a public backlash.
MSNBC
Sopan Deb

Cernovich went after New York Times reporter Sopan Deb in March 2017 over a tweeted pun about the rapper Bow Wow. The incident earned Deb an official rebuke from the Times' then-public editor, Liz Spayd.
Josh Barro

In November 2017, Cernovich demanded an apology from Josh Barro after the Business Insider Senior Editor made fun of his lisp. Barro swiftly retreated.
Twitter
Perry Fein

In June 2018, Los Angeles Times freelancer Perry Fein slipped into Cernovich's DMs and wished harm upon him. His relationship with the newspaper was over just hours later.
Los Angeles Times Media Group
James Gunn

Last week, Cernovich helped lead an online campaign highlighting old tweets in which Gunn joked about rape about pedophilia. Gunn offered an apology, but was dropped by Disney from the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise.
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Cheri Jacobus

Before the James Gunn situation, Cernovich also led a brief and successful campaign to pressure USA Today to drop columnist Cheri Jacobus. The decision from the paper came after Jacobus' bizarre comments about convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Michael Ian Black

Cernovich has trained his fire on comedian Michael Ian Black, who has said several times on Twitter that his tweets about pedophilia were only jokes.
YouTube
Dan Harmon

Fresh off his victory in ousting Gunn from "Guardians of the Galaxy," Cernovich forced "Rick and Morty" co-creator Dan Harmon and his employers at Adult Swim to apologize over an old sketch that featured Harmon graphically simulating the rape of a baby. (The sketch used a doll, not an actual baby.)
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The right-wing provocateur has become a thorn to liberals online

Maybe you'd never heard of right-wing provocateur Mike Cernovich before last week, when he helped get James Gunn fired from the next "Guardians of the Galaxy" film by highlighting Gunn's old Twitter jokes about rape and pedophilia. But Cernovich himself has a long history online, filled with both successes and statements he has since distanced himself from -- for reasons that will be obvious.

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