An October exposé by Project Veritas has resulted in the resignation of CNN producer Steve Brusk, who was accused on undercover footage of sexual misconduct and rewarding female employees for sexual favors.
BREAKING: "He(@stevebruskCNN) would make advances if there was a social gathering and they were drunk…put his arm around them, try and touch their leg…build up emails to the level where he would get flirty and inappropriate" – Rick Saleeby, Senior Producer @CNN#MeTooCNN pic.twitter.com/QDJL9cFBlE
— James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) October 22, 2019
In a November 26 email obtained by The Wrap, Brusk wrote: “As I mark my 20-year anniversary at CNN this week, I have made the hard decision that this is the right time to step down,” adding “Truth be told, I have barely had any time off or gotten much sleep the last five years — as we covered the campaign, the transition and the historic White House story. The stress of the last several weeks and being able to be home with my family for the holidays has confirmed for me this is the right decision.”
Apparently Steve is the real victim here – despite credible allegations that he made unwanted advances on women during social gatherings.
When speaking about CNN Politics Supervising Producer and White House Unit Supervising Producer/Coverage Manager, Steve Brusk, ‘The Lead with Jake Tapper’ Senior Producer Rick Saleeby said: “…he would like make advances if there was a social gathering and they were drunk… Put his arms around them, try and touch their leg. Try and build up emails to the level where he would get flirty and inappropriate.” –Project Veritas
Saleeby, Tapper’s senior producer, went on to describe how he had to rescue a 21-year-old woman from a lecherous Brusk during a party for a co-worker.
“So, like, there is this girl that was twenty-one. She’s actually a good friend of mine. She had just gotten hired after being an intern…And she was getting…There was a going away party for a co-worker. We were all having a really good time…She was very well liked. We were getting drunk. He started like staying close to her…Arm around her.”
Saleeby went on to describe the scene with more details: “She had a skirt on. I could see the hand. I like grab her. It looked like I was being the assaulter because I grabbed her so aggressive…To keep her from him. Like go around her and go Come over here and looked at him because I could flatten him…It was like…I wouldn’t do it because then I would be the one who got fired…He would have absolutely been like ‘get in a cab with me later.’”
Saleeby states that he found out later that there had allegedly been prior accusations against Brusk: “Because she was drunk. He had his arm around her. And in the setting like any other time ever, they barely speak…But he was like, trying to like, touch her thigh…He had already been accused of the things prior…Which I found out…Which I found out later.”
Saleeby then suggests that Brusk would have been fired in today’s “Me-Too” climate where “People are afraid to do shit.”
“I mean he has been at CNN for like twenty years…People have gotten away with a lot of sh*t,” Saleeby added.
Another CNN employee suggested Brusk rewarded sexual favors.
Nick Neville, CNN’s Media Coordinator, said “I will just say this, because this is open knowledge, it’s not like a Me Too thing, but there was this other girl who was like an NA (News Assistant), I feel like we basically had the same level of experience…And a job just kind of like appeared out of nowhere…And it was never posted online, and this girl always worked pretty closely with Steve, like all of us on the desk would help Steve out with stuff…But this other girl works pretty closely with him and he would email her, I mean, he emails all of us, but he would email and was very friendly to her. And then she just like got a job like working on his team and she was like, oh it’s hush-hush. The job was never posted anywhere. I was like, what is it?…I just thought it was a little strange…Was there an agreement? What happened there?…Like I’m saying, that’s open knowledge, but it just kind of like goes along with what he said.”
Watch the entire video below:
