CBS News fires political director Steve Chaggaris over ‘inappropriate behavior’

CBS News has fired its political director, Steve Chaggaris, over allegations of “inappropriate behavior,” the company said Thursday, making him the latest media figure to lose his job in connection with alleged misconduct in the workplace.

The news division of CBS Corp. did not elaborate on the allegations.

“In the last two weeks, accounts of inappropriate behavior by Steve Chaggaris were brought to our attention and were immediately investigated,” CBS News said in a statement. “As a result, CBS News has severed ties with Mr. Chaggaris for violating company policy, effective immediately.”

Chaggaris became CBS News’ political director last spring. He first worked for CBS News from 1999 to 2010, starting as a producer in the political unit before working as a politics reporter and then directing political coverage for the 2008 presidential campaign. After stints at news startup TBD.com and Yahoo News, Chaggaris returned to CBS News in 2012.

Chaggaris’ ouster comes less than two months after journalist Charlie Rose was dismissed from his cohost job at “CBS This Morning.” CBS fired Rose after a Washington Post report said multiple women complained about Rose’s conduct at his nightly PBS talk show. PBS has since dropped Rose as well.

Also in November, NBC fired “Today” show host Matt Lauer after it it received a complaint about Lauer concerning “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.”

Allegations of sexual harassment and related misconduct have also taken down the careers of media figures such as Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly, NBC News political analyst Mark Halperin, former “A Prairie Home Companion” host Garrison Keillor, NPR executive Michael Oreskes and NPR chief news editor David Sweeney.

CBS did not say whether the allegations against Chaggaris involved sexual misconduct.

ryan.faughnder@latimes.com

@rfaughnder