NBC, the network that employed accused sexual harasser Matt Lauer for decades and buried the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault scandal, has another problem. According to a former producer at the network, NBC is being investigated for sexual harassment by the New York Attorney General. Investigative journalist Rich McHugh appeared on Monday’s Tucker Carlson Tonight and confirmed the story: “That is true. I'm aware of it. I have been looking into it for a story. It was the New York Attorney General's Office Civil Division.”
Cautioning that the story was still early and developing, McHugh added, “I do know that they've been looking into this and interviewing employees over a number of months.”
The news came on the same day that NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack was fired. Both developments are almost two years to the day since the network exonerated itself over Lauer. In May of 2018, NBC declared that it “does not believe that there is a current widespread or systemic pattern of behavior that violates company policy or a current culture of harassment in the News Division.”(Apparently NBC clearing NBC wasn't enough to make this all go away.)
McHugh on Tucker called the fact that Lack is just walking out of NBC a “disgrace.” He added, “I personally left NBC largely because of, you know, things that he and other executives did with our reporting on the Weinstein story. So, you know, the fact that he can just kind of walk away is upsetting.”
Given all of this, it’s not particularly shocking when NBC buries an important story like the Joe Biden sexual assault claim. It wasn’t until April 30, 36 days after Reade came forward and accused then-Senator Biden of forcibly penetrating her as a staffer in 1993, that NBC relented and covered the story.
A transcript of the Tucker Carlson Tonight segment is below.
Tucker Carlson Tonight
5/4/2020
8:41 PM ET
TUCKER CARLSON: Well, here's a news story for you, probably not getting enough coverage on the other channels. Andy Lack has been ousted as the Chairman of NBC News. Now during his tenure as Chairman of NBC News, Lack was personally involved in the effort to kill Ronan Farrow's story on Harvey Weinstein. We told you a lot about that over the past couple of years. [Begin archived clip of Carlson.] The sexual misconduct allegations that derailed Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer weren't really secrets exactly. A lot of people knew. They just didn't say anything. People like Noah Oppenheim and Andy Lack at NBC News, both assiduously protected Harvey Weinstein. [Second clip.] Noah Oppenheim is still the President of NBC, Andy Lack is still the Chairman despite his own documented history of sexual indiscretions with NBC employees. [Third clip.] Andy Lack and Noah Oppenheim over at NBC, as you just pointed out, killed the Harvey Weinstein story and now accuse you of sexism. [end clip.] So when Lack wasn't protecting a serial predator for being a major Democratic donor, Lack also protected Matt Lauer and then under Lack's leadership, NBC since the "Access Hollywood" tape secretly to "The Washington Post" in an effort to swing the 2016 election for Hillary and then fired Billy Bush who just happened to be standing there and wrecked his life. Rich McHugh is a longtime investigative journalist. He worked for years at NBC News as a producer, and he joins us tonight. Rich, thanks so much for coming on. So, before we get to Andy Lack --
RICH MCHUGH, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Thanks for having me.
CARLSON: I want to run something by you that I have heard and I honestly don't know what's true, so, I just want to know if you've heard this, but I have heard that the New York Attorney General's office is investigating NBC on sexual abuse -- sexual harassment claims and no one has been charged, but that people have come in and had been interviewed. NBC News staffers, producers, executives and talent. Have you heard anything about this?
MCHUGH: Yes, I have, Tucker. That is true. I'm aware of it. I have been looking into it for a story. It was the New York Attorney General's Office Civil Division. So, you know, it's not -- we're not sure if it could lead to anything criminal, but I do know that they've been looking into this and interviewing employees over a number of months.
CARLSON: Well, that's kind of amazing. So, just to be completely clear, and I don't think this has been reported, and I look forward to your story for details, the New York Attorney General's office is looking into NBC News. Remarkable. Andy Lack, though, kind of walked out today. What are the circumstances there? Was that ahead of this investigation? Was he fired? Did he retire? What do you think happened?
MCHUGH: Well, one has to assume that they caught wind of this investigation, because it's been going on for months, and they've spoken to dozens of employees. So, I believe that that has a role to play in it. And, you know, there's new management at the top. And so they've decided, you know, we're going to try and get away from this black eye who presided over the Harvey Weinstein story and the Lauer disgrace and all of it. So this is a good first step, I should say.
CARLSON: Yes.
MCHUGH: But I should point out that I've spoken to a number of women, you know, victims who worked at NBC and they say, you know, the fact that this -- Andy Lack gets to walk out of the building, you know, on his own accord is a disgrace. You know, their careers have been ruined. I personally left NBC largely because of, you know, things that he and other executives did with our reporting on the Weinstein story. So, you know, the fact that he can just kind of walk away is upsetting.
CARLSON: It is upsetting. I mean, I've never seen a news division work harder to squelch news than they did in the case of your amazing story, which kind of changed a lot of things. Have you talked to Ronan Farrow about this? About Lack's departure?
MCHUGH: I haven't. No, we haven't spoken. We texted just briefly, but I haven't spoken to him, no.
CARLSON: And really quick, how can -- this is I guess, a kind of theoretical question, but how can Andy Lack be gone, but Noah Oppenheim is still there? Do you think he'll stay?
MCHUGH: It's a good question. It looks like this move has taken some of his power away. And, you know, I think it needs to be said that if they're really going to clean house and try and restore their credibility, they need to clean house because one half of the team that presided over our reporting, killing our story is still in power.
CARLSON: Yes. Thirty million Americans out of work. But Noah Oppenheimer is still drawing a big check from NBC. You tell me how that's fair? Go to church. Get back to me, Rich and tell me how this is fair. Great to see you tonight. Thank you for that. Thanks for confirming that.
