Mark Halperin Apologizes After Accusations of Sexual Harassment

Political analyst and NBC News and MSNBC contributor Mark Halperin on Friday said "I am profoundly sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused by my past actions," after he was accused of sexual harassment while at ABC News.

"I apologize sincerely to the women I mistreated," Halperin said in a statement on Twitter.

A report published by CNN on Wednesday quoted five anonymous women as saying Halperin sexually harassed them while he worked as a political journalist at ABC News.

The Washington Post in a Thursday article reported that a former ABC News researcher said Halperin asked her to sit on his lap in 1994, and other women were aware of or had experienced unwanted contact. CNN reported Friday night that an additional four women had shared stories of alleged sexual harassment.

ABC News denied having any knowledge of Halperin's alleged actions, and NBC News has not independently verified the allegations.