Keith Olbermann Accuses NBC News of “Enabling” Matt Lauer’s Behavior

Shortly after NBC News announced the firing of Today show host Matt Lauer over “inappropriate sexual behavior” on Wednesday, former MSNBC star Keith Olbermann took to Twitter to slam network management. 

“Matt Lauer was remorsely [sic] vindictive and tyrannical to everyone at NBC News and management repeatedly enabled him and buried the issue,” Olbermann tweeted. 

The pundit also hinted that he had heard rumors about Lauer prior to NBC News’ announcement, resurfacing an old tweet in which he claimed he’d received a “volume of texts about three separate rumors of big name sexual harassment/misconduct around media.” 

Sheesh, this is what I get for arranging to not have to look at twitter all morning 😉

Matt Lauer was remorsely vindictive and tyrannical to everyone at NBC News and management repeatedly enabled him and buried the issue.

And, I DID kinda tip you on this #NotAtAllHumbleBrag pic.twitter.com/eOSI17bIug

— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) November 29, 2017

The Today show first revealed the sexual misconduct allegation and subsequent firing of Lauer via Twitter on Wednesday morning. 

“Matt Lauer has been terminated from NBC News. On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment,” the tweet read, citing a portion of NBC News chairman Andy Lack’s internal staff memo.

Co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb covered the news during the morning show’s 7 a.m. hour. “We are devastated and we are still processing all of this,” Guthrie said, adding that she was “heartbroken” for both Lauer and his accuser.

Matt Lauer has been terminated from NBC News. On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer. As a result, we’ve decided to terminate his employment. pic.twitter.com/1A3UAZpvPb

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 29, 2017

Along with Olbermann, Lauer’s NBC colleague Megyn Kelly also revealed she had heard rumors about his alleged behavior at Business Insider‘s Ignition conference.

“I had heard rumors about Matt, but that’s all they were,” she said. “And my feeling on it is a rumor is not the same thing as a reportable fact. And it was also that I hear a lot of rumors about myself, too, that are completely untrue, and when you’re a public figure people do make up things about you and put them in print.”