Sharpton's 'pay to play' scandal 'ricocheting around the halls' of MSNBC, insider says: 'Can't be acceptable'

The increasing ungraded plaguing MSNBC big Rev. Al Sharpton has been "ricocheting astir the halls" of 30 Rock with his colleagues calling it a "bridge excessively far" for them, Fox News Digital has learned. 

On Tuesday, MSNBC said it was "unaware" that Vice President Kamala Harris’ statesmanlike run paid $500,000 to Sharpton’s National Action Network nonprofit up of a affable interrogation with the Democratic nominee conscionable weeks earlier the election. 

"MSNBC was unaware of the donations made to the National Action Network," an MSNBC spokesperson told the Washington Free Beacon, which archetypal broke the story.

Harris sat down for a friendly interview on Oct. 20 with Sharpton, an unfastened protagonist of Harris and the Democratic Party. Following Harris’ decision to President-elect Donald Trump, FEC filings revealed the Harris run gave 2 $250,000 donations to Sharpton’s nonprofit enactment successful September and October.  However, the MSNBC play big did not disclose to viewers the evident struggle of involvement earlier oregon aft the interview. Neither did helium disclose the donations to his bosses astatine the network, according to the Free Beacon.

"No one's amazed that anybody astatine MSNBC was rooting for Harris. This feels similar different level of nonsense. Like, you're kidding me, right? This is weird," the existent MSNBC worker reacted to Fox News Digital. "Harris could person fixed Al Sharpton an interview, and it would person gone the aforesaid way. But what are you paying for?... There's nary mode that this can't look weird."

MSNBC WAS ‘UNAWARE’ HARRIS CAMPAIGN. GAVE $500K TO AL SHARPTON'S GROUP AHEAD OF FRIENDLY INTERVIEW

MSNBC reportedly said it was "unaware" that Vice President Kamala Harris’ run paid $500,000 to Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network nonprofit. (MSNBC screenshot)

"Everybody knows who Al Sharpton is… but this feels similar a span excessively far. A large span excessively far… This is not landing well," they continued. "This has a spot of a soiled consciousness to it... These things hap and they don't bounce astir MSNBC each that much. Like radical conscionable don't care. This 1 feels, I'd say, there's a deeper disappointment. There's a consciousness of like, ugh, we don't request this. This feels benignant of grifty and gross."

The insider says everyone astatine MSNBC knows Sharpton is fixed a "wide berth" and that he's "not held to the aforesaid journalistic standard" arsenic others astatine MSNBC since he's acold much known extracurricular the web for his high-profile governmental and societal activism. That said, the contention reeks of a "pay-to-play" scheme. 

"There is simply a consciousness among the radical I've spoken to that this feels similar thing incorrect and that thing should beryllium done astir it," the MSNBC worker said. "I don't cognize what that thing is… That's a batch of money! That's not a tiny matter… It conscionable doesn't beryllium good with people."

KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEWERS RECEIVED LARGE CAMPAIGN DONATIONS TO THEIR GROUPS AHEAD OF SIT-DOWNS

One of Rev. Al Sharpton's MSNBC colleagues said his "pay to play" contention has been "ricocheting astir the halls" of the network. (Erika Goldring/Getty Images FOR ESSENCE)

They, however, formed uncertainty that Sharpton volition look immoderate consequences, telling Fox News Digital "Generally speaking, radical bash things and they benignant of get distant with them astatine MSNBC, I mean, different than successful the Me Too era." 

"I don't attraction whether idiosyncratic does thing to Al. I'm much funny successful wherever does this acceptable into who we are," the MSNBC insider said. "How does this s--- happen? How does fractional a cardinal dollars alteration hands?…  How tin you perchance deliberation you're holding idiosyncratic to relationship successful an interrogation erstwhile they donate wealth to you? We're told not to instrumentality tickets to a ballgame!" 

"It's got a existent bulls--- consciousness to it. People who similar Al and respect him and recognize what his worth is… it ranges from disappointment to disgust. Not a full ton of surprise, I volition archer you that," they continued. "There are immoderate organizational rules- I recognize helium has antithetic rules, but they can't beryllium that, that you donate wealth and past you get an interview. That can't beryllium acceptable…  I deliberation a three-year-old would spot a imaginable struggle successful this." 

MSNBC'S FUTURE A ‘BIG CONCERN’ FOR STAFFERS AS COMCAST MOVES TO SEPARATE LIBERAL NETWORK FROM NBCUNIVERSAL

The MSNBC insider suggested the web won't clasp Sharpton accountable, saying "people bash things and they benignant of get distant with them astatine MSNBC." (Kim Kulish/Corbis via Getty Images)

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The MSNBC staffer was taken aback by the web being caught flat-footed by the controversy. 

"For MSNBC to commencement by saying they weren't alert of otto commencement with, like, wow. That's something… Everything astir this stinks," they said. "Like, wherefore did the run not deliberation that this would travel retired and beryllium a truly atrocious look for them? I mean, if Kamala Harris had go president, it'd beryllium a scandal!… You're not gonna sway my sentiment for tickets to a ballgame but for fractional a cardinal dollars? You might!" 

"That benignant of wealth should not beryllium changing hands to radical who are cosplaying being a journalist. Maybe that's not a just word due to the fact that I don't know, is helium a journalist? I don't know. But that conscionable feels a small spot similar wage to play and it doesn't consciousness close In an enactment that we're each inactive portion of. I recognize that not everyone is held to the aforesaid standard, but determination should beryllium a acceptable of communal rules. And my knowing of this is that this would beryllium breaking a rule… it feels similar I couldn't get distant with that," the worker added. 

MSNBC did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment. 

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.