According to a Bloomberg report, one-third of the employees at Crooked Media, a liberal media outlet founded by White House staffers under former President Barack Obama, are leaving the company after 2023 amid internal strife.
The company was founded in 2017 by former Obama administration staffers Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett and Jon Favreau, but has been mired in infighting over its coverage of the Gaza war, allegations of union busting and inappropriate workplace behavior, according to Bloomberg. report.
NEW: Inside the staff revolt at Crooked Media, the progressive media organization behind Pod Save America.
Among the issues dividing staff are the war in Gaza, a founder dating an employee and grievances filed over allegations of union busting.
Since January 2011, a third of the staff has left the company. pic.twitter.com/lhYhu1jhVt
— Ashley Carman (@ashleyrcarman) August 1, 2024
The young staff Self-proclaimed leftist The hosts felt increasingly detached, especially when it came to the war in Gaza: “Some said they showed no empathy for the suffering of Palestinians or didn't understand pro-Palestinian protesters,” Bloomberg reported.
Staff reportedly posted links to pro-Palestinian news articles in company group chats for their superiors to see, and came to work wearing keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian dress, to draw attention to the issue.
The network forced a producer to resign after accusing him of making derogatory remarks during a discussion of pro-Palestinian student protests. An internal investigation cleared the producer of any wrongdoing, but Bloomberg reported that the producer resigned “rather than put up with a stressful workplace culture.”
Staff also seemed troubled by the lavish lifestyles of some of its founders. Lovett said Crooked Media had signed a $150 million advertising sales deal with SXM Media, investment The funding came from George Soros' company, Bloomberg reported.
Crooked Media has also faced accusations of workplace misconduct and has initiated an agreement to join the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) in 2023, but Bloomberg reports that the company has yet to reach an agreement with the union. (Related: 'It's the worst': Ex-Obama aides in complete panic after Biden 'disastrous' debate)
On July 29, the Guild filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Crooked Media for alleged union busting.
“It's unfortunate that a progressive company like Crooked Media won't stand by its values and instead tries to destroy the union,” WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said, according to Bloomberg. “The union fully expects Crooked Media to stop playing politics with workers' lives and get this first contract done without delay,” she concluded.
Other reported complaints include long hours, difficulty getting promoted, and poorly defined roles, according to Bloomberg. Notably, one of the company's founders, Jon Lovett, faced an excise tax investigation after taking a month off to participate in the game show “Survivor” at the height of election season while employees worked 12-hour days, Bloomberg reported.
Lovett also faced criticism for an extremely close personal relationship with an employee who had been promoted three times in two years. “That person spoke openly to colleagues. Bloomberg reported that “she is close friends with co-founder Mr. Lovett and has spoken to him about taking care of his dogs at his home.”
The employee and Lovett eventually disclosed their relationship to human resources, but Bloomberg reported that the relationship began “about a year after the employee's last promotion.”
