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Keurig CEO Apologizes for ‘Taking Sides’ After Sean Hannity Boycott

SPILLED MILK

After conservatives took to smashing their coffee-makers over the company’s ad withdrawal.

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Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Keurig’s CEO on Monday apologized to employees for appearing to “take sides” by pulling its ads from Sean Hannity’s Fox News show over the right-wing talker’s defense of Roy Moore. CEO Bob Gamgort said the decision for Keurig to communicate its halted advertising via Twitter was “highly unusual” and “outside of company protocols.” As such, he continued in a memo obtained by The Washington Post, “This gave the appearance of 'taking sides' in an emotionally charged debate that escalated on Twitter and beyond over the weekend, which was not our intent.” Over the weekend, following Keurig’s ad withdrawal, conservative activists had taken to filming themselves smashing their coffee-making machine. “Clearly, this is an unacceptable situation that requires an overhaul of our issues response and external communications policies and the introduction of safeguards to ensure this never happen again,” Gamgort added before apologizing to staff for any “negativity” they may have experienced as a result.

Read it at The Washington Post