Former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. has reportedly been fired from Morgan Stanley over allegations of misconduct.
“He has been terminated for conduct inconsistent with our values and in violation of our policies,” a company spokesperson told The Huffington Post.
One woman, who does not work for Morgan Stanley but interacted with Ford professionally, told HuffPo that she was interviewed as part of a human resources investigation into Ford’s alleged misconduct.
The woman said that Ford harassed, intimidated, and forcibly grabbed her while they were out professionally one night in Manhattan. She sought the help of a security guard to escape the situation.
Afterward, Ford continued to email her and ask her out to drinks. In a response email, the woman allegedly told him to stop contacting her and cited his inappropriate behavior during their last encounter. Ford apologized and agreed not to email the woman anymore.
“Hey very sorry. Meant no harm,” the email reads. “And I apologize for whatever I may have said or what was said. And my overtures are strictly professional. Again I apologize didn’t mean to be inappropriate at all. Sorry that impression was left.”
The woman confided in others about the alleged incident, and one of her confidants told HuffPo that she appeared “distraught, shocked, and frightened” after the encounter with Ford.
Ford vehemently denies the allegations and says Morgan Stanley was wrong to fire him.
“This simply did not happen. I have never forcibly grabbed any woman or man in my life. 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,” he said in a statement to HuffPo. “I support and have tremendous respect for the brave women now speaking out in this important national dialogue. False claims like this undermine the real silence breakers. I will now be bringing legal action against the reporter who has made these false claims about me as well as Morgan Stanley for improper termination.”
Ford is also a paid political analyst for MSNBC and is a frequent contributor on “Morning Joe.” MSNBC said that Ford will not appear on the network while they investigate the claims made against him.
This article was updated at 9:24 pm ET to include a statement from Ford.