The New Yorker has suspended staff writer Jeffrey Toobin after he reportedly exposed himself during a Zoom meeting last week.
According to a story first posted by Vice, Toobin’s transgression occurred during a virtual conference between New Yorker staff and local radio station WNYC.
In a statement to Vice, Toobin called the incident “an embarrassingly stupid mistake.”
He added, “I apologise to my wife, family, friends and co-workers.”
The reporter, who is also CNN’s chief legal analyst, said the entire incident was accidental. “I believed I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video,” he told Vice.
HuffPost reached out to Toobin for comment, but he did not immediately respond.
A spokesperson for The New Yorker confirmed that Toobin has been suspended “while we investigate the matter.”
In addition, Toobin is stepping away from his CNN gig, according to a statement given to the Associated Press.
“Jeff Toobin has asked for some time off while he deals with a personal issue, which we have granted,” a CNN spokesperson said.