Culture
Was CNN White House reporter Kate Bennett Chris Matthews’ paid-off victim?
A former producer for “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” now White House reporter at Cable News Network could be the female, who received a cash settlement after she complained about the Philadelphia-born pundit’s sexually oriented banter.
Saturday, The Daily Caller reporter Amber Athey posted that a spokeswoman from MSNBC confirmed to the outlet that a female “Hardball” producer received a severance package in 1999, but disputed the $40,000 figure another source told them.
It was in 1999 that Kate Bennett, then Kate Glassman, left Washington for a 10-year stint in Las Vegas, where she married, became a mother and worked as a reporter, then editor-in-chief of Vegas magazine. She returned to DC to take over Capitol File in 2010.
Bennett grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland and after her 1997 graduation from St. John’s College, an Annapolis liberal arts school with no religious affiliation, joined the production staff of Matthews’ program.
Trending: Senior Staff Leaving Struggling Beto O’Rourke Campaign
Big League Politics has not confirmed that Bennett was the producer involved in the Matthews payout, but her dates of employment line up with those in the situation.
Bennett did not respond to inquiries from Big League Politics.
A senior spokesperson for NBC News did not have a comment for the record when the spokesperson responded to an inquiry from Big League Politics.
Bennett is the daughter of James K. Glassman, the executive director of the George W. Bush Institute and former head of public diplomacy for Bush’s State Department. Glassman has been a columnist, television personality and media executive, including a stint as editor of Washingtonian magazine, where his daughter also was a writer.
As a CNN reporter covering the White House, Bennett focuses on First Lady Melania Trump, drawing on her deep experience as a fashion and society writer–but, also brings a serious journalism ethos to a beat that others do not.
. @FLOTUS spokeswoman responds to me re @VanityFair @Sarahlellison piece reporting “come hell or high water” Melania Trump didn’t want to become First Lady: pic.twitter.com/9PUR310QF5
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) November 27, 2017
It is also interesting that in the days after The Daily Caller story ran about Matthews, Bennett has laid off commenting on Twitter or retweeting stories relating to the Matthews story. According to her Twitter feed, Bennett was in Michigan and Canada the weekend the story broke.
and Canada. (cc @betsy_klein, look @TimHortons!) pic.twitter.com/gDzaSO45Ip
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) December 17, 2017
Typically, Bennet has Tweeted or retweeted about prominent men, not named Chris Matthews, who got tripped up in sexual behavior scandals:
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) December 11, 2017
in light of new exclusive @mj_lee reporting, the question remains: will @farenthold's colleagues now call on him to resign? https://t.co/eAkgHrK6tC
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) December 14, 2017
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) December 14, 2017
this part. https://t.co/HEWTCMGV6V pic.twitter.com/3xwoV6gRRx
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) December 8, 2017
Bennett’s reaction to Geraldo Rivera’s now-recounted defense of Matt Lauer:
???????????????????? https://t.co/06hLb2b7tT
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) November 29, 2017
"he had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his door from the inside without getting up." https://t.co/AMOLiULaCQ
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) November 29, 2017
Bennet retweeted:
Ari Wilkenfeld, attorney for Lauer accuser, describes NBC quickly investigating “egregious acts of sexual harassment and misconduct” and taking action: “This is how the system should work” pic.twitter.com/PyRJphdYPW
— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) November 29, 2017
Bennet retweeted:
Franken says he does not remember some of the instances in which women allege he touched them inappropriately as he posed for photos with them.
— Lauren Fox (@FoxReports) November 27, 2017
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