Five women have accused author and journalist Mark Halerpin of sexual harassment.
The women claim that Halperin, 52, propositioned employees for sex, gave a woman unwanted kissed and grabbed one woman’s breast against their will, according to a new report by CNN.
Three of the woman allege that Halperin pressed an erection against their bodies while he was clothed.
The alleged acts occurred between the 1990s to the mid-2000s.
Halperin, who authored the bestselling book Game Change, released a statement apologizing for ‘inappropriate behavior’.
‘During this period, I did pursue relationships with women that I worked with, including some junior to me,’ Halperin said in a statement to CNN Wednesday night.
Five women have accused author and journalist Mark Halerpin (pictured in March) of sexual harassment. The women claim that Halperin, 52, propositioned employees for sex and kissed and grabbed one’s breast against her will
Three of the woman allege that Halperin (left in May) pressed an erection against their bodies while he was clothed. He’s pictured with his girlfriend Karen Avrich in February
‘I now understand from these accounts that my behavior was inappropriate and caused others pain. For that, I am deeply sorry and I apologize.
‘Under the circumstances, I’m going to take a step back from my day-to-day work while I properly deal with this situation,’ he concluded.
But Halperin, who is married to Karen Avrich, denied grabbing a woman’s breasts and pressing his genitals against the three women.
One woman told CNN that she was invited to visit his office in the early 2000s when he was the political director at ABC News.
Halperin (pictured in August 2016), who authored the bestselling book Game Change, released a statement apologizing for his ‘inappropriate behavior’
The woman said while in his office, he kissed her and pressed his genitals against her body without consent.
‘I went up to have a soda and talk and — he just kissed me and grabbed my boobs,’ the woman said. ‘I just froze. I didn’t know what to do.’
The second woman, 25, who also worked at ABC News, told the network that she was invited to his office in 2004.
‘The first meeting I ever had with him was in his office and he just came up from behind – I was sitting in a chair from across his desk – and he came up behind me and [while he was clothed] he pressed his body on mine, his penis, on my shoulder,’ this woman told CNN.
‘I was obviously completely shocked. I can’t even remember how I got out of there – [but] I got out of there and was freaked out by that whole experience,’ she said.
She also alleged that Halperin propositioned her for sex on the campaign trail.
‘He would say, “Why don’t you meet me upstairs?” And I would say, “That’s not a good idea.” And he would push the request further,’ the person said. ‘Eventually I would just ignore him and go about my business.’
A third woman, also a former ABC News employee, told CNN she was on the road with Halperin when he propositioned her.
‘I excused myself to go to the bathroom and he was standing there when I opened the door propositioning [me] to go into the other bathroom to do something,’ she said.
‘It freaked me out. I came out of the ladies’ room and he was just standing there. Like almost blocking the door.’
A fourth woman who worked with Halperin told CNN that he asked her late at night on the campaign trail to go up to his hotel room with him, and that she believed him to be propositioning her. She declined.
The fifth woman who spoke to CNN was not an ABC News employee at the time of the incident.
She claimed that Halperin placed his erect penis against her body without consent while still clothed.
Like many cases, the five women said they didn’t report Halerpin’s alleged behavior because they feared retribution.
The claims against Halperin come just weeks after ex-studio head Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual harassment and rape.
The claims against Halperin come just weeks after ex-studio head Harvey Weinstein (left) was accused of sexual harassment and rape. And just last week, director, James Toback (right) was accused of sexual harassment by more than 300 women
Weinstein has been accused of sexually assaulting actresses included Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rose McGowan.
He is accused of a decades-long campaign of sexual abuse against at least two dozen women.
Weinstein denies allegations of rape. But the multiple Oscar-winning founder of film companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company has been sacked from the Weinstein Company.
And just last week, Hollywood director James Toback was accused of sexual harassment.
More than 300 women have made allegations against Toback, 72, for unwanted sexual encounters.
Among them are the actress Julianne Moore and ‘Today’ host Natalie Morales, who shared her story on Access Hollywood.
These accusers have also been reaching out to authorities, with the Los Angeles Police Department fielding complaints ahead of a possible investigation and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office encouraging women to contact the sex crimes hotline number.