CBS president and acting CEO Joseph Ianniello told employees that the investigation into the culture at CBS that was sparked by the multiple sexual misconduct allegations against former CEO Leslie Moonves was nearing its end while lamenting that so much of it has been made public.
“It’s frustrating that confidential information from the ongoing investigation made its way to the public before management and the board knew about it – and importantly, before we could communicate with all of you. And while we still don’t yet know the actual results, I do understand that the investigation is nearing an end,” Ianniello said in a memo sent to CBS employees Thursday.
“We in management, as well as our board members, understand that these stories are very disconcerting. At the same time, we should all be proud that we’ve been able to maintain our focus, and continue to perform at a high level, no matter the circumstances,” he continued. “We will continue to communicate as information comes in. I know we are all anxious to put this chapter behind us. In the meantime, thank you for your commitment to this outstanding Company and know we’re all in this together.”
Ianniello’s comments came after multiple reports surfaced in the New York Times in the last week about the investigation and Moonves, who resigned as CEO in September.
In one of those stories, a report by lawyers for CBS found that the network would be justified in denying Moonves a $120 million severance payout because he destroyed evidence and misled investigators looking into accusations of sexual misconduct, according to the Times, which cited a draft of a report prepared for the company’s board.