A number of women have accused veteran political reporter Mark Halperin of sexual harassment, a report said Wednesday.
The women talked to CNN about the alleged lewd behavior by Halperin, who has been the political director of ABC News and co-authored the book “Game Change.”
One woman told the network she was assaulted after visiting Halperin in the early 2000s.
“I went up to have a soda and talk and — he just kissed me and grabbed my boobs,” the woman said.
“I just froze. I didn’t know what to do.”
Another woman told CNN that Halperin once pressed his penis against her shoulder during the 2004 campaign cycle.
“I was obviously completely shocked,” she said.
“Given I was so young and new, I wasn’t sure if that was the sort of thing that was expected of you if you wanted something from a male figure in news.”
Halperin responded to the report by admitting he pursued relationships with younger woman and apologized for any inappropriate behavior.
“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.
“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.”



