The Mirror

Schultz Denies Suspension For Slut Shaming Laura Ingraham [VIDEO]

Evan Gahr Investigative Journalist
Font Size:

MSNBC, the cable channel whose president acts like he dropped acid, suspended Ed Schultz in April 2011 for calling conservative radio host Laura Ingraham “a right-wing slut.”

Schultz, long accused of misogynistic behavior, was absent from the airwaves for one week without pay after offering a self-serving apology to Ingraham on his show.

But at his deposition some seven months later, Schultz insisted he was not suspended, but rather “voluntarily” took himself off the air.

Yeah, right.

TV personalities do not “voluntarily” take themselves off the air.

Schultz sounded about as credible as the 20-something guy who upon returning from a hot date where he was unexpectedly stopped at third base assures his housemates that he “voluntarily” gave himself blue balls.

The difference, of course, is that this guy —let’s call him Dan since that is a quintessential guy name–is not doing damage control under oath.

Plus,  Dan is not contradicting multiple news accounts.

Not so Schultz.

About six minutes into the deposition, Mark Lane, the attorney for Michael Queen, asked Schultz, “Have you ever been suspended since you’ve been at MSNBC?”

Schultz said emphatically, “No, I haven’t.”

Lane, who gently questioned Schultz throughout the deposition, ignoring his snooty belligerence and  pompous lectures about his decades of experience in the industry, shrewdly let Schultz keep spinning the yarn.

Lane: All right. Have you been cautioned about your conduct by anyone in management at MSNBC or NBC?

Schultz, tried to stonewall by acting like an 8-year-old with a limited vocabulary. “Please define ‘cautioned.’”

Lane plodded along. “Has anyone in management ever told you that you did something wrong and you should not repeat it?

Schultz: Yes

Lane: When was that?

Schultz: It was this past—I believe it was April.

Lane: What were the comments about? I don’t want to hear the whole story, just tell me if, you can, briefly but the subject–matter.

Schultz: I described another person in the industry in a disparaging matter.

Lane: You called someone a right wing slut?

Schultz: Correct.

Lane: And you were not suspended?

Schultz: I voluntarily took myself off the air for one week.

Lane: So you suspended yourself?

Schultz: “Suspension” is not the correct word, sir.

Video effects by Grae Stafford.