Mark Halperin out at NBC and MSNBC after CNN publishes sexual harassment claims made by five women

You probably know Mark Halperin as the level-headed political analyst seated across the table from "Morning Joe" hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. He's the 'real political analyst' that they throw to whenever they want their show to sound like it's taking things seriously. Instead of Joe and Mika screaming something inane, Halperin pops ups and says something that makes at least a little bit of sense, and the whole endeavor enjoys an ever-so-slight bump in credibility. Unfortunately, that has come to an end.

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CNN is reporting that Halperin is facing accusations of sexual harassment stemming from his time at ABC News. As a result, Morning Joe won't have Mark to kick around anymore:

During this period, I did pursue relationships with women that I worked with, including some junior to me," Halperin said in a statement to CNN Wednesday night. "I now understand from these accounts that my behavior was inappropriate and caused others pain. For that, I am deeply sorry and I apologize. Under the circumstances, I'm going to take a step back from my day-to-day work while I properly deal with this situation." MSNBC, where Halperin makes frequent appearances on "Morning Joe," said early Thursday that Halperin would leave his roles at that network and as an analyst at NBC News. "We find the story and the allegations very troubling," MSNBC said in a statement. "Mark Halperin is leaving his role as a contributor until the questions around his past conduct are fully understood."

What did Halperin supposedly do? Well....

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women who spoke to CNN say he also had a dark side not made public until now. The stories of harassment shared with CNN range in nature from propositioning employees for sex to kissing and grabbing one's breasts against her will. Three of the women who spoke to CNN described Halperin as, without consent, pressing an erection against their bodies while he was clothed. Halperin denies grabbing a woman's breasts and pressing his genitals against the three women.

So, yeah. The accusations aren't just "he asked me out and I didn't like it." They're real deal 'handsy' stuff. Morning Joe co-host and co-fiancée, Mika Brzezinski, commented on the matter this morning: Hopefully, the loss of Halperin's calming influence means that Morning Joe will get more and more surreal.

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