Report: 60 Minutes boss tolerated a star producer's "abusive and alarming" workplace behavior

The Washington Post

Allegations that senior producer Michael Rudutzky was an "out-of-control guy, especially but not exclusively toward women" were touched upon in Ronan Farrow's bombshell New Yorker story on Les Moonves. Farrow reported how Rudutzky -- who quietly left CBS News in May -- allegedly threatened to throw furniture at another senior producer, Vicki Gordon, and twisted her arm behind her back, an allegation that he categorically denies. 60 Minutes executive producer Jeff Fager had Gordon apologize to mitigate conflict in the office, Farrow reported, but the 60 Minutes boss insists he didn't stop her from going to human resources. The Washington Post's Erik Wemple has uncovered further allegations of Rudutzky behaving badly. "According to numerous sources who worked with him and witnessed his conduct, the star producer engaged in behavior that ranged from screaming at colleagues to throwing objects — behavior they claim was tolerated for too long as Radutzky brought in exclusive 'gets' that burnished the 60 Minutes brand," Wemple reports. Wemple adds: "These allegations date back years — which is what makes them so powerful and so troubling: Under Fager’s leadership, 60 Minutes held on to an employee accused of assaulting Gordon, not to mention other allegations that point to a general pattern of troubling behavior." Former 60 Minutes employees say there was a "professional mind-meld" between Fager and Radutzky, leaving staffers in fear of reporting Radutzky's behavior. Wemple reports: "Those working under Radutzky knew whom they’d be challenging if they ever complained about his conduct. Said a former colleague, 'Michael made it clear to everyone that he had Jeff’s ear. … He held that as sort of a latent threat over everyone.'"