MSNBC was "unaware" that Kamala Harris's campaign paid Al Sharpton's nonprofit $500,000 shortly before Harris sat for a softball interview with the cable host, a network spokesman told the Washington Free Beacon.
He wouldn't say, though, whether the left-wing network is taking any action against Sharpton for a move that appears to violate network policy. Other network hosts like Joe Scarborough have been publicly reprimanded for their failure to disclose making, rather than receiving, political donations.
The Harris campaign made a $250,000 contribution to Sharpton's National Action Network on Sept. 5 and another on Oct. 1, just weeks before Sharpton conducted a favorable interview with the Democratic nominee, the Free Beacon reported.
Sharpton did not inform MSNBC viewers of the contributions during the segment, nor did he inform network brass, a network spokesman said.
"MSNBC was unaware of the donations made to the National Action Network," the spokesman said. He declined to say whether the network would take any action, indicating that it does not comment on "personnel matters."
MSNBC has reprimanded hosts over similar violations in the past. In 2010, then-MSNBC president Phil Griffin suspended host Joe Scarborough over $4,000 in political contributions Scarborough made years earlier, including to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.). Griffin also suspended host Keith Olbermann that same year over donations made to Democratic campaigns, saying in a statement that "it is critical that we enforce our standards and policies."
At that time in 2010, MSNBC prohibited political contributions from hosts to candidates. A network spokesman declined to say whether that policy has changed.
But back then, the policy stated, "Anyone working for NBC News who takes part in civic or other outside activities may find that these activities jeopardize his or her standing as an impartial journalist because they may create the appearance of a conflict of interest." It continued: "Such activities may include participation in or contributions to political campaigns or groups that espouse controversial positions. You should report any such potential conflicts in advance to, and obtain prior approval of, the president of NBC News or his designee."
The contributions to Sharpton and his subsequent interview, which clearly constitute participation in a political campaign, also violate basic journalistic ethics guidelines regarding financial relationships with sources or interview subjects.
"This kind of entanglement harms the credibility of the journalist, the news organization, and journalism overall, and credibility is difficult to restore," the Society of Professional Journalists told the Free Beacon. "While Sharpton may not consider himself a journalist, many viewers do."
"When TV news broadcasters do not report their conflicts of interest, or conduct their work in ways that run counter to ethical journalism, it builds distrust among their audiences and places a black eye on both their network and the profession."
MSNBC has suffered historically low ratings in the weeks after Donald Trump’s presidential win and is expected to undergo significant changes after Comcast announced earlier this month it was spinning off its cable news networks. MSNBC president Rashida Jones told "panicked" employees that "change is always complicated," according to the New York Post.
Jones, who succeeded Griffin in 2021, has close ties to Sharpton and his National Action Network. She's twice accepted the group's "Chairman's Award," the Free Beacon reported, and she spoke at a National Action Network event with Sharpton the day before one of the Harris campaign donations.
National Action Network has served as a source of political and financial clout for Sharpton, who founded the organization in 1991, the same year he helped stoke the anti-Semitic Crown Heights riots in Brooklyn. He has been accused of using the nonprofit to enrich himself and wield influence, including through his dealings with Comcast.
In 2015, billionaire black businessman Byron Allen sued Comcast, Sharpton, and other civil rights groups, alleging that the media giant entered "sham diversity agreements" with Sharpton and National Action Network in exchange for $3.8 million in donations. Allen alleged that Sharpton "has a business model and track record of obtaining payments from corporate entities in exchange for his support."
National Action Network, which did not respond to a request for comment, paid Sharpton around $650,000 in 2021. It also spent more than $900,000 on private jets and limousine services seemingly used by Sharpton.
At the same time, Sharpton makes a handsome living at MSNBC, which he joined as a host in 2011. The network reportedly pays him a salary in the high six figures or low seven figures.