MSNBC anchors drop surprising statement on sexual harassment claims against Tom Brokaw

Rachel Maddow and Andrea Mitchell were among the current and former colleagues of Tom Brokaw that signed a letter defending him against recent allegations of sexual harassment.

Here's what the letter said

The letter from the MSNBC anchors and 62 others didn't contradict the sexual harassment claims directly, but offered a more positive perspective of Brokaw's life.

"As professional women, we fully endorse the conversation around abuse of power in the workplace," the letter began. "In the context of that conversation, we would like to share our perspectives on working with Tom Brokaw."

"We are current and former colleagues of Tom’s, who have worked with him over a period spanning four decades," they continued. "We are producers, correspondents, anchors, directors, executives, researchers, personal assistants, editors and technical staff."

"Tom has treated each of us with fairness and respect," they explained. "He has given each of us opportunities for advancement and championed our successes throughout our careers."

"As we have advanced across industries – news, publishing, law, business and government – Tom has been a valued source of counsel and support," it read.

"We know him to be a man of tremendous decency and integrity," the letter concluded.

Brokaw defended himself against the claims in a scathing letter Friday that offered his own version of the interactions his accuser called harassment.

Here's a report of the allegations from CBS News: