NYT suspends White House reporter over sexual misconduct allegations

Glenn Thrush accused of repeatedly acting inappropriately, in another expose of a powerful media figure preying on young women; promises to enter substance abuse program

Glenn Thrush on an episode of “The Press Pool” at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, July 20, 2016. (Kirk Irwin/Getty Images for SiriusXM via JTA)
Glenn Thrush on an episode of “The Press Pool” at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, July 20, 2016. (Kirk Irwin/Getty Images for SiriusXM via JTA)

WASHINGTON — The New York Times suspended White House correspondent Glenn Thrush on Monday after an expose with numerous women accusing him of acting inappropriately and making unwanted sexual advances on them.

According to the Vox report, Thrush crossed boundaries with a number of women,  including groping and kissing young female journalists against their will after they shared drinks together.

“The behavior attributed to Glenn in this Vox story is very concerning and not in keeping with the standards and values of The New York Times,” Eileen Murphy, the senior vice president of communications for the New York Times, told the website. “We intend to fully investigate and while we do, Glenn will be suspended.”

Laura McGann, the editorial director at Vox and the author of the story, was an editor at Politico at the same time that Thrush, 50, worked there and said she experienced his inappropriate behavior, too.

“All of the women were in their 20s at the time,” the report said. “They were relatively early in their careers compared to Thrush, who was the kind of seasoned journalist who would be good to know. At an event with alcohol, he made advances. Afterward, they (as I did) thought it best to stay on good terms with Thrush, whatever their feelings.”

Thrush, who joined the newspaper in December 2016 after working for Politico for eight years, admitted he had “done things that I am ashamed of,” without responding directly to any of the allegations made in the story.

In an emailed statement to Vox, he said that he has resumed “counseling and will soon begin out-patient treatment for alcoholism. I am working hard to repair the damage I have done.”

“I apologize to any woman who felt uncomfortable in my presence, and for any situation where I behaved inappropriately,” he said. “Any behavior that makes a woman feel disrespected or uncomfortable is unacceptable.”

In the last year, Thrush, who is Jewish, has been one of the most prominent Washington reporters covering the Trump administration. He was part of the team of six reporters for The New York Times covering the White House.

So recognizable were his byline in print and his presence at White House press briefings that he was portrayed in a Saturday Night Live skit with Melissa McCarthy playing former press secretary Sean Spicer.

Thrush and his colleague, Maggie Haberman landed a major book deal with Random House about US President Donald Trump.

These allegations come amid a wave of women reporting on the powerful media figures who took advantage of their status to sexually harass and, in some cases, assault women.

In October, The New York Times and The New Yorker unleashed two bombshell reports about Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein that has  precipitated an avalanche of more women coming forward to make public their experiences with sexual harassment.

Other media figures accused of similar behavior include Mark Halperin, Leon Wieseltier, Michael Oreskes and others.

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