Keith Olbermann suspended for making campaign contributions
Washington Post
by David Montgomery
November 5, 2010MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has been suspended indefinitely without pay for making political campaign contributions to three Democratic candidates last month, MSNBC president Phil Griffin said in a statement Friday afternoon. "I became aware of Keith’s political contributions late last night," Griffin said. "Mindful of NBC News policy and standards, I have suspended him indefinitely without pay." Politico first reported Friday morning that the host of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" gave $2,400 apiece in late October to Kentucky candidate Jack Conway and to Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. The donation to Grijalva came on the same day the Democratic incumbent appeared on "Countdown," Politico reported.
Conway lost his race against Tea Party favorite Rand Paul. Grijalva was declared the winner in his race late Thursday, and Giffords’s had remained too close to call after Election Day. Olbermann said in a statement to Politico: "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." Under Federal Elections Commission rules, $2,400 is the most an individual donor can give to a candidate in a general election campaign. Giffords and Conway had also appeared on Olbermann’s show earlier in the year…
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