Sharpton’s ‘pay to play’ scandal ‘ricocheting across the halls’ of MSNBC, insider says: ‘Cannot be acceptable’

The rising scandal plaguing MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton has been “ricocheting across the halls” of 30 Rock together with his colleagues calling it a “bridge too far” for them, Fox Information Digital has discovered. 

On Tuesday, MSNBC mentioned it was “unaware” that Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential marketing campaign paid $500,000 to Sharpton’s Nationwide Motion Community nonprofit forward of a pleasant interview with the Democratic nominee simply weeks earlier than the election. 

“MSNBC was unaware of the donations made to the Nationwide Motion Community,” an MSNBC spokesperson instructed the Washington Free Beacon, which first broke the story.

Harris sat down for a pleasant interview on Oct. 20 with Sharpton, an open supporter of Harris and the Democratic Occasion. Following Harris’ defeat to President-elect Donald Trump, FEC filings revealed the Harris marketing campaign gave two $250,000 donations to Sharpton’s nonprofit group in September and October.  Nonetheless, the MSNBC weekend host didn’t open up to viewers the obvious battle of curiosity earlier than or after the interview. Neither did he disclose the donations to his bosses on the community, in accordance with the Free Beacon.

“Nobody’s stunned that anyone at MSNBC was rooting for Harris. This looks like one other degree of nonsense. Like, you are kidding me, proper? That is bizarre,” the present MSNBC worker reacted to Fox Information Digital. “Harris may have given Al Sharpton an interview, and it will have gone the identical method. However what are you paying for?… There isn’t any method that this may’t appear bizarre.”

MSNBC WAS ‘UNAWARE’ HARRIS CAMPAIGN. GAVE $500K TO AL SHARPTON’S GROUP AHEAD OF FRIENDLY INTERVIEW

“Everyone is aware of who Al Sharpton is… however this looks like a bridge too far. An enormous bridge too far… This isn’t touchdown nicely,” they continued. “This has a little bit of a unclean really feel to it… This stuff occur they usually do not bounce round MSNBC all that a lot. Like folks simply do not care. This one feels, I might say, there is a deeper disappointment. There is a sense of like, ugh, we do not want this. This feels form of grifty and gross.”

The insider says everybody at MSNBC is aware of Sharpton is given a “extensive berth” and that he is “not held to the identical journalistic normal” as others at MSNBC since he is way more identified outdoors the community for his high-profile political and social activism. That mentioned, the controversy reeks of a “pay-to-play” scheme. 

“There’s a sense among the many folks I’ve spoken to that this looks like one thing improper and that one thing must be performed about it,” the MSNBC worker mentioned. “I do not know what that one thing is… That is some huge cash! That is not a small matter… It simply does not sit nicely with folks.”

KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEWERS RECEIVED LARGE CAMPAIGN DONATIONS TO THEIR GROUPS AHEAD OF SIT-DOWNS

One among Rev. Al Sharpton’s MSNBC colleagues mentioned his “pay to play” controversy has been “ricocheting across the halls” of the community. (Erika Goldring/Getty Photos FOR ESSENCE)

They, nevertheless, forged doubt that Sharpton will face any penalties, telling Fox Information Digital “Typically talking, folks do issues they usually form of get away with them at MSNBC, I imply, apart from within the Me Too period.” 

“I do not care whether or not any individual does one thing to Al. I am extra concerned with the place does this match into who we’re,” the MSNBC insider mentioned. “How does this s— occur? How does half 1,000,000 {dollars} change arms?…  How are you going to probably suppose you are holding any individual to account in an interview after they donate cash to you? We’re instructed to not take tickets to a ballgame!” 

“It is received an actual bulls— really feel to it. Individuals who like Al and respect him and perceive what his worth is… it ranges from disappointment to disgust. Not a complete ton of shock, I’ll inform you that,” they continued. “There are some organizational rules- I perceive he has totally different guidelines, however they cannot be that, that you just donate cash and then you definately get an interview. That may’t be acceptable…  I believe a three-year-old would see a possible battle on this.” 

MSNBC’S FUTURE A ‘BIG CONCERN’ FOR STAFFERS AS COMCAST MOVES TO SEPARATE LIBERAL NETWORK FROM NBCUNIVERSAL

The MSNBC insider advised the community will not maintain Sharpton accountable, saying “folks do issues they usually form of get away with them at MSNBC.” (Kim Kulish/Corbis by way of Getty Photos)

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The MSNBC staffer was shocked by the community being caught flat-footed by the controversy. 

“For MSNBC to start out by saying they weren’t conscious of otto begin with, like, wow. That is one thing… The whole lot about this stinks,” they mentioned. “Like, why did the marketing campaign not suppose that this is able to come out and be a extremely dangerous search for them? I imply, if Kamala Harris had develop into president, it would be a scandal!… You are not gonna sway my opinion for tickets to a ballgame however for half 1,000,000 {dollars}? You may!” 

“That form of cash shouldn’t be altering arms to people who find themselves cosplaying being a journalist. Perhaps that is not a good time period as a result of I do not know, is he a journalist? I do not know. However that simply feels a bit bit like pay to play and it does not really feel proper In a corporation that we’re all nonetheless a part of. I perceive that not everyone seems to be held to the identical normal, however there must be a set of widespread guidelines. And my understanding of that is that this is able to be breaking a rule… it looks like I could not get away with that,” the worker added. 

MSNBC didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark. 

Fox Information’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.