WASHINGTON — Harold Ford Jr. will not appear as a contributor on MSNBC in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment, the network announced on Friday.
“Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski said on the air that MSNBC and Ford had agreed that he would cut ties with the cabler until an investigation is completed. Ford had been a frequent guest on the show.
On Thursday, Ford was fired from Morgan Stanley in the wake of allegations that he forcibly grabbed a woman several years ago. The woman was not an employee of Morgan Stanley, but spoke to the company’s human resources department as they conducted an investigation. The woman came forward to the Huffington Post, but the site did not identify her.
“We are looking into the report about Harold Ford Jr. During that time he won’t be a guest on MSNBC,” the network said in a statement.
Ford issued a statement on Twitter, vowing to take legal action. He identified the woman as a news reporter.
“In regards to news today, this simply did not happen. I have never forcibly grabbed any woman or man in my life,” he wrote.
“Having drinks and dinner for work is part of my job, and all of my outreach to the news reporter making these false allegations was professional and at the direction of my firm for business purposes,” Ford said. “I support and have tremendous respect for the brave women now speaking out in this important national dialogue. False claims like this though undermine the real silence breakers.”
“I will now be bringing legal action against the reporter who made these false claims about me as well as Morgan Stanley for improper termination,” he continued.
Ford is a former congressman from Tennessee, but he has since established a presence on TV as a pundit and author.
Another contributor to “Morning Joe,” Mark Halperin, was dropped by the network in October after he faced allegations of sexual misconduct during his tenure at ABC News. Halperin also was a contributor to NBC News and MSNBC.
