“Game Change” author Mark Halperin, who’s been accused of sexual harassment by numerous women, issued a lengthy statement via Twitter on Friday, saying that he is “profoundly sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused.”
“The world is now publicly acknowledging what so many women have long known: Men harm women in the workplace. That new awareness is, of course, a positive development. For a long time at ABC News, I was part of the problem,” Halperin continued. “I acknowledge that and I deeply regret it. As I said earlier in the week, my behavior was wrong. It caused fear and anxiety for women who were only seeking to do their jobs.”
Halperin continued that he feels “profound guilt and responsibility” about his conduct, some of which involved “junior ABC News personnel and women just starting out in the news business.”
Also Read: 'Morning Joe' Endorses Mark Halperin Suspension: 'We Fully Support NBC's Decision Here' (Video)
Halperin also divulged that, toward the end of his tenure at ABC News, he underwent “weekly counseling sessions to work on understanding the personal issues and attitudes that caused me to behave in such an inappropriate manner.”
While Halperin asserted that some of the allegations leveled against him “are not true,” he added, “I know I can never do enough to make up for the harm I caused. I will be spending more time with my family and friends, as I work to make amends and contributions both large and small.”
The trouble began for Halperin when CNN published five accounts accounts of five unnamed women who claimed that Halperin made inappropriate sexual advances while he worked at ABC News more than a decade ago.
Also Read: Mark Halperin's Book on the 2016 Election Canceled Amid Sexual Harassment Accusations
“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,” Halperin told CNN. “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.”
Since the CNN report, Halperin has been suspended by MSNBC. HBO also ditched plans to adapt a book Halperin was co-authoring about the 2016 election into a miniseries. Penguin Press also abandoned plans to publish the book itself.
“In light of the recent news regarding Mark Halperin, the Penguin Press has decided to cancel our plans to publish a book he was co-authoring on the 2016 election,”
Also Read: 'Morning Joe' Endorses Mark Halperin Suspension: 'We Fully Support NBC's Decision Here' (Video)
Read the full tweet below.
Please read my statement below. pic.twitter.com/8ld8k8DC6O
— Mark Halperin (@MarkHalperin) October 27, 2017
Timeline of Fox Sexual Harassment and Other Scandals, From Roger Ailes to Bill O'Reilly (Photos)
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