On Monday, The Daily Beast reported that disgraced former political journalist Mark Halperin "threatened" MSNBC executive Phil Griffin on a phone call when Griffin did not take to his idea of collaborating with conservative morning news anchor Joe Scarborough.
According to multiple sources, the call grew ugly, with Halperin making "vague threats" against Griffin. After the call, an enraged Griffin indicated he is unlikely to take any future calls from Halperin.
Halperin was previously a mainstay of Washington cable news reporting, despite a track record of false reporting and a controversial style, and his book Game Change was considered an authoritative account of the 2008 presidential election. His career imploded spectacularly in 2017 after five women accused him of sexual harassment during his time as an ABC reporter, including three who alleged he rubbed his genitals against them.
Since his disgrace, Halperin has been trying aggressively to rehabilitate his image and return to cable-news punditry, including the release of an upcoming book scheduled for this fall. His efforts have sparked a fresh wave of criticism both of him and of the political strategists who collaborated with him.
