Report says ex-CBS executive Les Moonves ‘deliberately lied’ to investigators about allegations

Former CBS CEO Les Moonves “deliberately lied” to investigators about allegations of sexual misconduct during his time at the network, according to a report obtained by The New York Times.

Lawyers hired by the network to look into allegations against Moonves interviewed 11 of the 17 women who they knew had credibly accused the former executive of misconduct, the Times reported. The report said that based on investigators’ findings, the network could terminate Moonves with cause and avoid paying him millions in severance.

Investigators said that Moonves had “received oral sex from at least 4 CBS employees under circumstances that sound transactional,” and that reports from multiple people alleged a network employee was “on call” to perform oral sex for Moonves.

{mosads}The report further alleges that Moonves, who worked for CBS for more than 20 years, destroyed evidence, was “evasive and untruthful” with investigators and “deliberately lied about and minimized the extent of his sexual misconduct.”

An attorney for Moonves told the Times that the former executive denied having any nonconsensual sexual relationship, and cooperated “extensively and fully with investigators.”

The Times reported that the investigators’ findings are expected to be delivered to the CBS board prior to its annual meeting next week.

Moonves resigned from his role as CEO in September, hours after The New Yorker published a story detailing allegations that he harassed female employees and coerced one woman into performing oral sex.

A previous New Yorker story published weeks earlier included accounts from six women accusing Moonves of sexual harassment, with four describing forced touching or kissing, and dozens of other employees detailing a culture of gender discrimination.

Moonves is the latest powerful executive to be accused of sexual harassment. Other media, political and entertainment figures to resign or be fired due to misconduct allegations include former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer and Harvey Weinstein.