Hamilton Fish, president and publisher of The New Republic magazine, has resigned from his company after allegations of sexual misconduct were leveled against him by several female employees.
In a letter to owner Win McCormack, Fish said that he felt “deep dismay” to hear of the allegations against him, and that he understands “office culture has been harmed” as a result of his actions.
“As I understand it, some employees, to my deep dismay, complained this week that my presence had led them to feel uncomfortable at The New Republic,” Fish wrote in a statement obtained by The New York Times. “Since it’s my sense that office culture has been harmed, and the best way to help the organization move past this is by withdrawing.”
In a letter to staff, McCormack announced that Fish’s resignation would not end the company’s inquiries into improper workplace conduct.
“I’m writing to inform you that Hamilton Fish has tendered his resignation from TNR effective immediately,” McCormack wrote. “This won’t mean an end to the inquiry we’ve commissioned, as we want to understand everyone’s experiences in full, both on their own terms and for the purpose of looking ahead.”
Fish initially took a leave of absence on Monday when the allegations first surfaced. In a letter to staff Monday, McCormack stated that a number of women had described an “uncomfortable” environment created by Fish.
“I have been made aware that a number of employees have come forward in the last few days to express concern about certain workplace interactions that have created an uncomfortable environment for them,” McCormack wrote. “As I understand them, these concerns relate specifically to interactions between Ham Fish and a number of women employees.”
Fish has served as the liberal magazine’s president and publisher since February 2016, when he was appointed by McCormack who had recently purchased the company. He also publishes The American Spectator, a left-leaning monthly periodical.