Keith Olbermann Donations to Democrats May Have Violated NBC Ethics Policy

Keith Olbermann

/ CBS

UPDATE: Olbermann has been suspended. Story here.

Liberal MSNBC host Keith Olbermann donated to three Democratic candidates in the 2010 election cycle, potentially in violation of NBC's ethics policy.

Olbermann acknowledged the contributors - to Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway and Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords - in a statement to Politico, which first reported the donations.

Olbermann said he made the donations on October 28th, a day on which Grijalva appeared on his show "Countdown with Keith Olbermann." He gave the maximum $2,400 donation to each of the three candidates, and said the donations came "after a discussion with a friend about the state of politics in Arizona."

"I did not privately or publicly encourage anyone else to donate to these campaigns, nor to any others in this election or any previous ones, nor have I previously donated to any political campaign at any level," he said in the statement.

As CNN reports, the donations are confirmed in the Federal Election Commission filings of all three candidates.

NBC's ethics policy generally bars political activity, including contributions, without the approval of the president of NBC News, Steve Capus, according to a 2007 story on MSNBC.com.

"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 says. "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."

It is not known whether Capus granted Olbermann permission to make the donations. MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The candidates Olbermann donated to had mixed results. Conway lost his race to Tea Party-backed Republican Rand Paul, but both Grijalva and Giffords lead in tight races that CBS News has not yet projected. All three appeared on Olbermann's show, and Grijalva has appeared multiple times.

As Politico notes, Olbermann and MSNBC President Phil Griffin have been critical of Fox News over its two $1 million donations to Republican and Republican-leaning groups during the midterm election cycle.

On October 7th, in reference to the Fox News donations, Olbermann asked House Majority Whip James Clyburn if there is a legislative response available when a cable news network "goes beyond having a point of view and actually starts to shill for partisan causes and actually starts to donate to partisan groups of one party."

MSNBC has cast itself as a liberal alternative to the conservative Fox News channel, a move that has helped the network improve its ratings, though not to the level of Fox News.

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Brian Montopoli is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of his posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[noseitall]

"Elections have consequences." -- Barack Obama, 2009

[RobAla]

"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." That is a joke - right? There are no impartial journalists or news outlets. Newspapers actually endorse candidates. I don't care who he gave money to, as long as he is honest about his political leanings. The Washington Post is pro-Democrat, and the Washington Times is pro-Republican. All news persons and outlets are bias - they always have been. I just want them to be honest about where they are coming from. Oberman is a progressive, and others on Fox are conservatives. I just want them to be honest about hwho they are.

[stickbowman]

Thanks for outing another "Worst Person In the World" - what a hypocrite.

NBC is trying to clean out it's rats nest of socialist-progressive proselytizing. He should be fired so Airyheada HuffnPuff can have him.

I used enjoy Keefe Ubermouth until he went off his meds and became a left wing extremist. His unseemly fetish for lesbians aside, he still could be a decent newsman if was so inclined.

[superdem1]

No one on the right could possibly have an issue with this - all your think tanks are bought and paid for by corporations, all your media is corporate owned, all of your politicians are elected with secret corporate money which even YOU can't identify, all your legislation is written for you by corporations, and you tell yourselves you are doing the "peoples' business" - to top off your hipocracy your main source of "information" has openly donated a million dollars to the Republican Party. And you are upset that one journalist has openly donated a few dollars to a few candidates of his choice ? Where's your Tea Party freedom of expression thing ? You are all like that Rand Paul guy, stomping on anyone you don't agree with. Your corporate masters return your devotion with unregulated tainted food, unregulated exploding oil rigs, unregulated caved-in mines, unregulated rip-off drug prices, unregulated banks and investment house pirates - you all stink.

[backtofacts]

You surely must have listed to Keith way tooooo much. After the first sentence, all I see was blah blah blah blah blah. Just like him. I tried watching Keith many times to see what he had to say and I would literally get sick because of his slanderous talk and ramblining on about nothing just to make a point about nothing. He gave me a headache. I must say though that I had never seen so much FOX News being played on any other channel than on Keiths show. I guess the BAD TV can't stand the GOOD TV so all they can do is criticise, mock and defame what they don't like. OH -- this sounds like the Demoncratic Party. Lets see --- What were the Demoncrats saying about the Tea Party. Go back and what some of that fantastic verbage.

[palmflood]

Private donations by any free American citizen, and their votes, are not the business of their employer.

[jk12852002]

IF (and it's a BIG if) NBC wants to dismiss Mr. Olbermann, they will use this "possible ethics violation" as the excuse just as NPR used the "ethics violation" to dismiss Mr. Williams. But the excuse given will NOT be the reason for dismissal. In Mr. Olbermann's case, it will probably be a business decision because he consistently takes a shellacking in his time slot.

[nomorelibs]

"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,"

This is hilarious. Olberman being impartial, I think that ship sailed years ago.

[teamrich1]

Juan Williams.....anyone anyone.... guess must just be different somehow.

[not2wise]

I defy anyone on either side of the fence to produce an impartial journalist - I do find Mr. Ogremann er, Olbermann to be extremely boorish and off-putting.

[nomorelibs]

Jake Tapper and George Stephanopolous seem to be pretty impartial.

[cgallaway]

So, when an opinionated "journalist"(for lack of a better term) personally gives money to political candidates, it is wrong? But it is OK if Fox's "journalists" (for lack of a better term) do the same thing? It is also apparently OK if the entire news organization gives money to political candidates. I am worried that Keith's first amendment rights might be violated by NBC....didn't the Supreme Court rule earlier this year that giving money to candidates was considered "free speech"? (considering they said that preventing business and unions from giving money to candidates was a violation of "free speech"

[nomorelibs]

You missed the point. It's the rules of NBC. Stupid rule, but that's their right. It is funny though that they think Olberman can be impartial.

[bluejack1965]

Do you libs never stop whining and crying???