The New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin has been suspended and is under investigation after he exposed himself to participants, including employees of the magazine and WNYC radio, during a live Zoom meeting. Two participants who were on the call told Vice that they were on a joint video call featuring some of the New Yorker's most prominent names, including Editor in Chief David Remnick, Masha Gessen, and Jane Mayer, gearing up for an election simulation in the run-up to the presidential election.
During a break, Toobin switched to a second call that was the video-call equivalent of phone sex, lowered the camera, and started inappropriately touching his penis and masturbating on camera in full view of the shocked participants. Toobin then left the call and re-joined moments later, seemingly unaware of what his colleagues had just witnessed. A spokeswoman for The New Yorker said in a statement, Mr. Toobin got suspended as an investigation is going on.
'I Thought I Had Muted the Zoom Video'
Toobin issued a statement on Monday saying he exposed himself accidentally. "I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera," Toobin said. "I apologize to my wife, family, friends, and co-workers."
"I believed I was not visible on Zoom," he added. "I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video." Toobin has worked as a legal analyst for CNN since 2002 and has been a writer with the New Yorker since 1993. A CNN spokesperson said in a statement, "Jeff Toobin has asked for some time off while he deals with a personal issue, which we have granted."
Toobin has authored a number of books including, 'The Run of His Life,' which was adapted into the popular FX series, 'The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story.' His other books include including 'The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court,' 'The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court' and 'Too Close to Call.'
His latest book, titled 'True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump' was released in August but an upcoming event for the book was postponed in the wake of what has now become known as the "Zoom Dick Incident."
