NBC Universal vice chairman and Democratic donor Ron Meyer is leaving the company after revelations he faced attempted extortion over an extramarital affair.
Meyer said in a statement released Tuesday that he had engaged in a "very brief and consensual affair" with a woman several years ago and reached a private settlement. He claimed that other parties had learned of the settlement and attempted to extort him over it. He also said he was faced with threats to implicate NBC Universal by publishing false allegations against Meyer.
Meyer is an active Democratic donor, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Over the past four years, his activities include donations to a Joe Biden-supporting Super PAC, and donations to Sens. Doug Jones (D., Ala.), Kyrsten Synema (D., Ariz.), Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.), and Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.), among others. He also donated to a Hillary Clinton super PAC in 2016.
The woman with whom Meyer had the affair was not an employee of NBC Universal, but Meyer reportedly did not reveal the threat to the company that the situation posed, which is what led to his ouster.
"Late last week Ron Meyer informed NBCUniversal that he had acted in a manner which we believe is not consistent with our company policies or values," NBC Universal CEO Jeff Snell said. "Based on Ron’s disclosure of these actions, we have mutually concluded that Ron should leave the company, effective immediately."
Meyer worked at NBC Universal for more than 20 years, starting at the company in 1995.