Keillor: Relationship with accuser simply 'romantic writing'
Garrison Keillor
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —  Garrison Keillor  described several sexually suggestive emails he exchanged with a former researcher who accused him of sexual misconduct as "romantic writing" that never resulted in a physical relationship  and the radio host rejected the idea that because he was  her  boss — and the driving force of a hugely popular radio program — it could be sexual harassment.
 The woman  responded  via  her  attorney  that  Keillor 's power over  her  job made  her  afraid to say no to him.
In one of his first extended interviews since Minnesota Public Radio cut ties over the allegations against the former "A Prairie Home Companion" host in November   Keillor  said he never had a sexual relationship with the woman  a freelance contributor to the show at the time.
"No button was unbuttoned and no zipper was unzipped "  Keillor  told The Associated Press. "I never kissed  her  ... This was a flirtation between two writers that took place in writing."
 Keillor  also downplayed his power over  the woman  by portraying himself as uninvolved in the mundane operations of the radio show he created nearly a half-century ago and built into a powerhouse that attracted millions of listeners nationwide each Saturday evening  spun off assorted businesses and tours and inspired a movie.
"I was not really the boss around 'Prairie Home Companion '"  Keillor  said. "I was a writer sitting in a dim office at a typewriter  back in the old days." He also said: "I had no control over her whatsoever. She worked at home."
The woman said in an emailed response through her attorney that  Keillor  "had the power to provide or take away job assignments and opportunities. He also acknowledged several times that power imbalance between us  recognizing how his conduct could be offensive when it was coming from the person for whom I work."
She also said she wasn't interested in anything but a "collegial" relationship with  Keillor .
MPR spokeswoman Angie Andresen said the station stands by its handling of the claims against  Keillor . In January  the company said the woman had accused  Keillor  of dozens of sexually inappropriate incidents over several years  including requests for sexual contact and explicit sexual communications and touching.
Prior to the interview   Keillor 's attorneys allowed the AP to view hundreds of emails between  Keillor  and the woman dating from 2004 to 2017  on condition that they could be described but not quoted directly.
Some were work-related  including details from her research and  Keillor 's critiques. But many were personal  sharing details about their families and emotional struggles from their home email accounts  and some were overtly sexual.
The tone began changing in 2013  as the pair began sharing more about their lives and signing off by saying they loved and missed each other. By 2014 and 2015  the emails became more amorous. They both shared wishes or fantasies of being intimate  sometimes in detail. In one July 20  2015  email   Keillor  wrote of his desire to reach into the woman's blouse and hold her breast in his hand.  Keillor  was married at the time and still is.
"I agree that there are adolescent passages in there  but there were some by her and some by me  " Keillor  told the AP.
 Keillor  also wrote about wanting to touch the woman  kiss her  or be naked with her on several occasions. She replied in kind. The emails also included some explicit acknowledgements by  Keillor  of their work relationship  with him apologizing for some of the emails and noting that he was the person she worked for — but that he didn't feel like her boss.
When MPR cut ties with  Keillor  in November  his public statement at the time acknowledged one incident -- placing his hand on a woman's bare back in what he portrayed as an accident. He said then it was the only incident he could remember.
MPR has removed archived  Keillor  shows from its website and no longer rebroadcasts shows he hosted. It also ended broadcasts of "The Writer's Almanac " his daily reading of literary events and a poem. Talks between  Keillor  and MPR over transitioning their business relationship have gone nowhere since early January.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) —  [TGT]described several sexually suggestive emails [TGT] exchanged with a former researcher who accused [TGT] of sexual misconduct as "romantic writing" that never resulted in a physical relationship  and the radio host rejected the idea that because [TGT] was  her  boss — and the driving force of a hugely popular radio program — it could be sexual harassment.
 The woman  responded  via  her  attorney  that  Keillor 's power over  her  job made  her  afraid to say no to him.
In one of his first extended interviews since Minnesota Public Radio cut ties over the allegations against the former "A Prairie Home Companion" host in November   [TGT]said he never had a sexual relationship with the woman  a freelance contributor to the show at the time.
"No button was unbuttoned and no zipper was unzipped "  Keillor  told The Associated Press. "I never kissed  her  ... This was a flirtation between two writers that took place in writing."
 [TGT]also downplayed his power over  the woman  by portraying himself as uninvolved in the mundane operations of the radio show he created nearly a half-century ago and built into a powerhouse that attracted millions of listeners nationwide each Saturday evening  spun off assorted businesses and tours and inspired a movie.
"I was not really the boss around 'Prairie Home Companion '"  Keillor  said. "I was a writer sitting in a dim office at a typewriter  back in the old days." He also said: "I had no control over her whatsoever. She worked at home."
The woman said in an emailed response through her attorney that  Keillor  "had the power to provide or take away job assignments and opportunities. He also acknowledged several times that power imbalance between us  recognizing how his conduct could be offensive when it was coming from the person for whom I work."
She also said she wasn't interested in anything but a "collegial" relationship with  Keillor .
MPR spokeswoman Angie Andresen said the station stands by its handling of the claims against  Keillor . In January  the company said the woman had accused  Keillor  of dozens of sexually inappropriate incidents over several years  including requests for sexual contact and explicit sexual communications and touching.
Prior to the interview   Keillor 's attorneys allowed the AP to view hundreds of emails between  Keillor  and the woman dating from 2004 to 2017  on condition that they could be described but not quoted directly.
Some were work-related  including details from her research and  Keillor 's critiques. But many were personal  sharing details about their families and emotional struggles from their home email accounts  and some were overtly sexual.
The tone began changing in 2013  as the pair began sharing more about their lives and signing off by saying they loved and missed each other. By 2014 and 2015  the emails became more amorous. They both shared wishes or fantasies of being intimate  sometimes in detail. In one July 20  2015  email   Keillor  wrote of his desire to reach into the woman's blouse and hold her breast in his hand.  Keillor  was married at the time and still is.
"I agree that there are adolescent passages in there  but there were some by her and some by me  " Keillor  told the AP.
 Keillor  also wrote about wanting to touch the woman  kiss her  or be naked with her on several occasions. She replied in kind. The emails also included some explicit acknowledgements by  Keillor  of their work relationship  with him apologizing for some of the emails and noting that he was the person she worked for — but that he didn't feel like her boss.
When MPR cut ties with  Keillor  in November  his public statement at the time acknowledged one incident -- placing his hand on a woman's bare back in what he portrayed as an accident. He said then it was the only incident he could remember.
MPR has removed archived  Keillor  shows from its website and no longer rebroadcasts shows he hosted. It also ended broadcasts of "The Writer's Almanac " his daily reading of literary events and a poem. Talks between  Keillor  and MPR over transitioning their business relationship have gone nowhere since early January.