Back on the air tonight after his brief suspension, MSNBC personality Keith Olbermann acknowledged the suspension — punishment, MSNBC said, for making political donations without permission — and apologized to viewers.
Olbermann apologized for the “drama” he had caused, and for not knowing beforehand about MSNBC’s policy about donations, which he said was not in his ($30 million) contract and which he derided as potentially illegal. He also apologized for doing a “Worst Person” segment on the opponent of one of the politicians he gave to.
He also suggested someone at the White House had called him about the brouhaha.
Watch:
Olbermann was suspended without pay last Friday after Politico reported that he had given $2,400 each to Senate candidate Jack Conway and Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords, all Democrats. (It was Giffords’ opponent, Jesse Kelly, that Olbermann had done a segment on). MSNBC said he had violated its policy, in which journalists must get permission from the president of MSNBC before making donations.