After being fired from the New Yorker for pleasuring himself during a Zoom meeting in October, CNN welcomed Jeffrey Toobin back on the network for the first time in eight months.
Once CNN’s top legal analyst, Toobin was immediately suspended from his 27-year-long position at the New Yorker due to an October 15 call when multiple staff members witnessed him touching his exposed genitals.
Shortly after the incident, CNN confirmed that “Jeff Toobin has asked for some time off while he deals with a personal issue, which we have granted.” As he explained the situation on CNN “Newsroom” Thursday, Toobin made sure to keep both hands visible.
“I didn’t think I was on the call. I didn’t think other people could see me,” Toobin said. “I thought that I had turned off the Zoom call. Now, that’s not a defense. This was deeply moronic and indefensible, but I mean, that is part of the story.”
Although Toobin apologized for not knowing his camera was on, Toobin did not apologize for masturbating during the staff meeting.
When asked if there would be any more surprises to arise from his former workplace’s investigation, Toobin said “there are no surprises out there about my conduct,” and he “doesn’t think there’s anything further that is going to come out.” Toobin added that he thought his punishment was “excessive.”
“This was not the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was just this incident,” Toobin said.
In 2008, then-married Toobin had a secret affair with his co-worker’s daughter, Casey Greenfield. When Toobin found out the affair produced a love child, he offered her money to have an abortion, according to the Daily News. When Greenfield gave birth to their son in 2009, Toobin refused to pay child support until a Manhattan Family Court ordered him to.
Despite past and present circumstances, Toobin said he was not worried about any more skeletons being found.
Toobin noted he is “incredibly grateful” to CNN for taking him back.
Source: The Federalist
