Sixty-four female colleagues of former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw have signed a letter supporting him against allegations of sexual harassment. Two women approached The Washington Post, which published the allegations Thursday.
Among the signers are prominent journalists Rachel Maddow and Andrea Mitchell, both of NBC News.
In the letter, sent Friday, current and former colleagues of the NBC News special correspondent write that “Tom has treated each of us with fairness and respect. He has given each of us opportunities for advancement and championed our successes throughout our careers.”
The signees, who write that collectively they have worked with Brokaw across four decades, add, “As we have advanced across industries — news, publishing, law, business, government — Tom has been a valued source of counsel and support. We know him to be a man of tremendous decency and integrity.”
Despite its support for the accused journalist, the letter maintains that each of the signees “endorse the conversation around abuse of power in the workplace.”
As Twitchy notes, Hillary Clinton’s “Believe all women” rule has been suspended.
Twitter had some amusing takes on women defending Brokaw:
Believe all women unless we like the man and he views the world the same way we do
— Hippity Hoppity (@JoinOrDie8) April 28, 2018
"Tom helped us advance our careers so leave him alone, you hussy." pic.twitter.com/6KFXb6VdNn
— BT (@back_ttys) April 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/tangozebra1234/status/990018137717465088
https://twitter.com/TXShades123/status/990025603922489346
Brokaw penned an email to several NBC employees not only to deny the charges but to invite everyone to a pity party:
It is 4:00 am on the first day of my new life as an accused predator in the universe of American journalism. I was ambushed and then perp walked across the pages of The Washington Post and Variety as an avatar of male misogyny, taken to the guillotine and stripped of any honor and achievement I had earned in more than a half century of journalism and citizenship.
I am angry, hurt and unmoored from what I thought would be the final passage of my life and career, a mix of written and broadcast journalism, philanthropy and participation in environmental and social causes that have always given extra meaning to my life.
Instead I am facing a long list of grievances from a former colleague who left NBC News angry that she had failed in her pursuit of stardom. She has unleashed a torrent of unsubstantiated criticism and attacks on me more than twenty years after I opened the door for her and a new job at Fox news [sic].
Linda Vester was given the run of the Washington Post and Variety to vent her grievances, to complain that I tickled her without permission (you read that right), that I invaded her hotel room, accepted an invitation to her apartment under false pretenses and in general was given a free hand to try to destroy all that I have achieved with my family, my NBC career, my writing and my citizenship.
Not to put too fine a point on it, Tommy, but aren’t you reaping what you’ve sown?
Actually, liberal women are trapped by their inaction and support of Bill Clinton during his troubles in the 1990s. They couldn’t very well support him and not support Brokaw.
Well, they could, but it wouldn’t be any fun.
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