Keith Olbermann has been suspended from MSNBC, indefinitely and without pay, after news that he had made political contributions to three Democratic candidates.
“I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night,” Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC, said in a statement. “Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay.”
Politico reported this morning that Olbermann had made the maximum donation, $2,400, to three Democratic candidates this year: Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords and Senate candidate Jack Conway.
MSNBC has not responded to requests for more information.
Also revealed today, Fox News’ Sean Hannity and his wife gave $10,000 to Rep. Michele Bachmann this year. Fox did not respond to a request for comment.
[TPM Slideshow: This Means War!: White House Takes On Fox News]
Update: Via Salon, Fox told a Minnesota newspaper that Hannity didn’t violate any policies in giving to Bachmann.
“It always good to remember that he’s not a journalist, he’s a conservative TV host,” said the head of programming. “If he wants to donate to a candidate, he certainly can.” He also said Hannity would disclose the donation when interviewing Bachmann — which, as Salon points out, hasn’t happened.
According to a 2007 story, MSNBC and NBC News policy requires employees to report any potential conflicts of interest, including political contributions, and get prior approval from the president of NBC News.
Other MSNBC personalities, including Pat Buchanan, have given to political campaigns. Buchanan gave $2,250 to Republican candidates between 2005 and 2008.
Chris Hayes, editor of The Nation, is reportedly filling in for Olbermann tonight. Hayes contributed $500 to Democratic candidates in 2009. [Update: Hayes says he made those donations before he signed to MSNBC]
Later update: Jillian Rayfield reports that, in addition to Buchanan, anchor Joe Scarborough and producer Mary Murray have also made political contributions. New York Times reporter Brian Stelter tweeted that Hayes would, in fact, not be hosting Countdown tonight.
Late update: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) comes to Olbermann’s defense, saying in a statement that Olbermann “should be reinstated immediately and allowed to present his point of view.”
“It is outrageous that General Electric/MSNBC would suspend Keith Olbermann for exercising his constitutional rights to contribute to a candidate of his choice,” Sanders said. “This is a real threat to political discourse in America and will have a chilling impact on every commentator for MSNBC.”
Another update: Hayes tweets that he chose not to fill in for Olbermann tonight “because I didn’t feel comfortable doing it given the circumstances.” He also said the donations he made to “two friends” happened before he signed to MSNBC.
