Following Today show anchor Matt Lauer’s dismissal from NBC News after an inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct, the highly-paid newscaster will not be paid the rest of his multi-million-dollar contract amount, which totals $20 million from the start of the contract through 2018, according to reports.
NBC News’ HR department is now going through Lauer’s emails to find out if there are any other potential victims of the former Today anchor’s sexual advances.
Channel president Noah Oppenheim has also committed to take swift action against anyone who is aware of similar behavior towards his staff and hasn’t come forward with the information.
It has also emerged that weeks before Lauer’s first accuser came forward, Oppenheim and channel chairman Andy Lack had questioned the anchor about any possible instances of sexual misconduct.
At the time, Lauer said he was “racking his brain and couldn’t think of anything at all.” The network added that, at the time, no evidence was found of any previous settlements or complaints.
Meanwhile, Ari Wilkenfeld, attorney for the unnamed accuser, made this statement following Lauer’s ouster:
“My client and I met with representatives from NBC’s human resources and legal departments at 6 p.m. on Monday for an interview that lasted several hours. Our impression at this point is that NBC acted quickly, as all companies should, when confronted with credible allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace.”
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