Ethics, civic duties, moral obligations

Gloria Allred is calling on Apprentice producer Mark Burnett and MGM Television, the owners of The Apprentice series to release unaired outtakes of episodes of the show where Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump allegedly says things far worse that the previously released "hot microphone" tape where he says being a star allowed him to 'grab women by the pussy.'"

She tried to deliver a letter to the MGM Television office that read:

"I am writing to request an immediate meeting with you and/or senior executives at MGM with reference to the release of footage of The Apprentice. You have publicly stated that there are legal restrictions and prohibitions on releasing the tapes. I would request and welcome a meeting with you and your attorneys in which you would explain in detail the specifics of those claimed restrictions and/or prohibitions. In the alternative, I would proposed that the evidence supporting your assertion that there is a legal basis for your refusal to release footage of Mr. Trump on The Apprentice” be disclosed to a panel of three retired Los Angeles Superior Court judges who would review your claimed legal restrictions and determine if the footage of Mr. Trump can legally be released."

Another letter, signed by Allred, National Organization for Women president Terry O'Neill and Feminist Majority president Eleanor Smeal says:

"The compelling public interest overrides any confidentiality clauses MGM, Burnett Productions Co. or you personally may be hiding behind.  Those clauses are not intended to shield a presidential candidate from scrutiny that he himself has invited by making his racism, xenophobia and misogyny a campaign issue. Mr. Burnett, history can turn on a single act, one decision to do the right thing. You have an obligation to take that step today."

Meanwhile, TMZ.com reports that NBC executives planned to release the Access Hollywood tape of Trump's remarks about grabbing women by the genitals at the moment that would most directly influence the results of the general election.

The New York Times publishes an account of two women who claim that they were groped by Donald Trump in the manner he described on that tape.  The Palm Beach Post published a similar account by a third woman.  The Trump campaign and the candidate deny these allegations.

Emails published by Wikileaks involving the Clinton campaign show that reporter Kenneth Vogel of Politico sent an advance copy of a story to the Clinton campaign, a serious breach of journalistic ethics.

Another of those emails shows that Donna Brazile, the current interim head of the Democratic National Committee, shared an upcoming town hall question in advance with the Clinton campaign.  Brazile was a CNN contributor at the time.  She became interim head of the DNC in the wake of Debbie Wasserman Schultz's departure following revelations of improprieties in how the DNC failed to remain impartial during the primary campaign, possibly damaging the chances of Bernie Sanders to secure the nomination.

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This is all wrong and improper.  Mark Burnett and the people at MGM Television have no "civic duty" to release that outtake footage, especially if there are legal ramifications because of contract provisions.  As Ms Allred and her friends are not party to those contracts, they have no standing to do anything but politely ask for disclosure of those provisions.  Or in simpler terms, those contracts aren't her damn business.  If she wants someone to violate the terms of those contracts she can pony up enough money to indemnify anyone who chooses to take the risk of breaching those agreements.

As a broadcast company, NBC has a duty as a trustee of the public airways to not attempt to influence the outcome of elections by "scheduling" the release of the news.  They and other journalism outlets have to remain as impartial as possible in the reporting of actual events.  You don't give out advanced copies of stories to the subject of those stories.  You do seek to verify the accuracy but you can do that without what was done in this instance.

Donna Brazile is not fit to be the head of the DNC, in the interim or ever.  Not if she was helping the Clinton campaign at the expense of the Sanders campaign during the primaries.

Lastly we come to Donald Trump.  Why is it okay for him to call the women who accuse him of failing to tell the truth, while not providing the same presumption of innocence in the case of Bill Clinton and the women who have accused Clinton of rape and sexual assault?  He has denied those allegations.  Trump is denying these new allegations.  Why should either man be treated differently?  Either both deserve the benefit of the doubt or both do not deserve that benefit.  To do otherwise is to continue to do what Donald Trump has done for his entire life.  Exempt himself from being held responsible for his actions.