Sharpton's 'pay-to-play' scandal 'outraging the halls' of MSNBC, insider says: 'Unacceptable'

The growing scandal surrounding MSNBC host Reverend Al Sharpton has been “filling the halls” of 30 Rock with his colleagues calling it “a bridge too far” for them, Fox News Digital has learned.

On Tuesday, MSNBC said it was “unaware” that Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign paid $500,000 to Sharpton's National Action Network nonprofit ahead of a friendly interview with the Democratic nominee in the weeks before the election.

“MSNBC was not aware of any donations made to the National Action Network,” an MSNBC spokesperson told the newspaper Washington Free Beaconwho started and finished the story.

Harris sat down for a friendly chat on October 20 with Sharpton, an outspoken supporter of Harris and the Democratic Party. After Harris lost to President-elect Donald Trump, Cost of shares FEC revealed that the Harris campaign made two donations of $250,000 to Sharpton's nonprofit in September and October. However, the MSNBC weekend host did not disclose to viewers any apparent conflicts of interest before or after the interview. He did not disclose the contributions to his bosses at the network, according to the Free Beacon.

“No one is surprised that anyone at MSNBC wanted Harris. This sounds like another level of nonsense. Like, you're kidding me, right? This is amazing,” a current MSNBC employee responded to Fox News Digital. “Harris could have given Al Sharpton an interview, and it would have gone the same way. But what are you paying for?… There's no way this won't look weird.”

MSNBC 'KNEW' THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN. DONATES $500K TO AL SHARPTON'S TEAM BEFORE FRIENDLY DEBATE

“Everybody knows who Al Sharpton is… but this feels like a bridge too far. A big bridge too far… This one's not going down well,” they continued. “This has a dirty feeling to it… These things happen and they don't roll on MSNBC that much. Like people don't care. This one feels, I would say, there is a deep disappointment. .There's a sense of, well, we don't need this.

The insider says everyone at MSNBC knows that Sharpton was given a “wide berth” and that he “wasn't caught. on the same level of journalism” as others on MSNBC as he is well-known outside the network for his high political and social activism. That said, the debate begins with the “pay-to-play” program.

“There's a sense from people I've talked to that this feels like something is wrong and something needs to be done about it,” the MSNBC employee said. “I don't know what that thing is… That's a lot of money! That's not a small thing… It doesn't go down well with people.”

THEIR TEAMS THEIR TEAMS THEIR TEAMS THEIR TEAMS MAJOR DONATIONS CONSULTANTS RECEIVING MONEY

However, they doubt Sharpton will face any consequences, telling Fox News Digital that “Generally, people do things and they just get away with it at MSNBC, I mean, except for the Me Too era.”

“I don't care if someone does something to Al. I really like where this fits with who we are,” an insider told MSNBC. “How does this happen? How does half a million dollars change?… How can you imagine holding someone accountable for an interview when they offer money to you? We're told not to take tickets. to a football game!”

“There are real bulls— feel for it. People who love Al and respect him and understand what his worth is … it ranges from disappointment to disgust. It's not a whole ton of surprise, I'll tell you that,” they continued. . “There are certain rules of the organization – I understand that you have different rules, but it can't be that, that you donate money and get an interview. That's not acceptable… I think a three-year-old would see the potential conflict in this. ”

FUTURE OF MSNBC 'BIG CONCERN' FOR STAFF AS COMCAST MOVES TO MERGE LIBERAL NETWORK WITH NBCUNIVERSAL

The MSNBC staff was surprised by the network caught up in the controversy.

“For MSNBC to start off saying they didn't know otto to start, like, wow. That's something… Everything about this stinks,” they said. “Like, why didn't the campaign think that this would come out and look so bad for them? I mean, if Kamala Harris had been president, it would have been a shame!… You're not going to change my mind about half a million dollar tickets to a football game!

“That kind of money shouldn't change hands for people who are cosplayers to be journalists. Maybe that's not a good word because I don't know, are you a journalist? I don't know. But that sounds a little bit like paying to play and it doesn't sound like an organization that we're all part of. I understand that not everyone is held to the same level, but there should be a common set of rules And my understanding​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

MSNBC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.