Report: Garrison Keillor Not Going Away Quietly

Garrison Keillor

One week after Minnesota Public Radio announced it was severing ties to Garrison Keillor because of alleged inappropriate behavior toward a female co-worker, the legendary broadcaster is working to salvage his reputation, insisting he was treated unfairly during MPR’s investigation.

“I wish Jon McTaggart had asked to hear my side of the story,” Keillor said in an e-mail Thursday to The Star-Tribune, referring to the chief executive officer for American Public Media, MPR’s parent company. “Every story has two sides, sometimes more. He could have looked at the e-mails and the phone texts. It would’ve taken about an hour of his time and it could’ve saved us all this drama.”

Later in the afternoon, Keillor said that both parties may be “heading towards a happy resolution.” When pressed for more details, the former host of “A Prairie Home Companion” responded: “It means lawyers talking to lawyers. I’m out of it. Writing a story.”

Keillor also said he was having heart problems and scheduled an appointment next week at the Mayo Clinic for a pacemaker implant. “Pretty routine but still serious,” he wrote. “I’m fine.”

Early Thursday morning, his attorney, Eric Nilsson, informed the Star Tribune that Keillor was seeking a swift resolution of the consequences from MPR’s decision and with it, “he expects a full restoration of his reputation.”

In the statement, Nilsson cited an MPR News report about a staff meeting Wednesday during which McTaggart referred to “multiple allegations” against Keillor. “We are aware of allegations against Mr. Keillor by only one individual,” he wrote. “We trust that Mr. McTaggart will set the record straight.”

Later, MPR communications director Angie Andresen said that the company had complaints from two individuals associated with “A Prairie Home Companion” but that the alleged behavior was directed at only one of them.