MSNBC insider: Al Sharpton's 'pay to play' scandal must be addressed immediately.

Rev. Al Sharpton's growing scandal on MSNBC has been "bouncing off the walls" of 30 Rock, with his colleagues labeling it a "leap too far," according to Planet Chronicle Digital.

On Tuesday, MSNBC admitted that it was unaware that Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign paid $500,000 to Sharpton's National Action Network nonprofit before a friendly interview with the Democratic nominee just weeks before the election.

The National Action Network received donations without MSNBC's knowledge, according to an MSNBC spokesperson who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon.

On Oct. 20, Harris sat down for a friendly interview with Sharpton, an open supporter of Harris and the Democratic Party. Despite the defeat of Harris to President-elect Trump, FEC filings revealed that the Harris campaign made two $250,000 donations to Sharpton's nonprofit organization in September and October. However, Sharpton did not disclose the apparent conflict of interest to viewers before or after the interview, nor did he disclose the donations to his bosses at MSNBC.

"The MSNBC employee was not surprised that anyone at MSNBC was supporting Harris. This felt like another level of absurdity. "Are you kidding me?" the employee exclaimed. "This is bizarre." The employee felt that Harris could have given Al Sharpton an interview, and it would have gone the same way. "What are you paying for?" the employee wondered. "There's no way that this can't seem strange.""

"Al Sharpton is well-known, but this feels like a bridge too far. A big bridge too far... This isn't landing well. It has a dirty feel to it. These things happen and don't get much attention on MSNBC. People seem to not care. This one feels like there's a deeper disappointment. There's a sense of ugh, we don't need this. It feels grifty and gross."

MSNBC insiders claim that Sharpton is given a "free rein" and is not held to the same journalistic standards as others on the network due to his high-profile political and social activism. However, the controversy surrounding his role on MSNBC has raised suspicions of a "pay-to-play" scheme.

"The MSNBC employee stated that there is a widespread feeling among the people they've spoken to that something is wrong and that action should be taken, although they are unsure what that action should be. The employee emphasized that this is a significant issue and not a small matter, as it does not sit well with people."

According to Planet Chronicle Digital, people believe that Sharpton will not face any consequences, as it is common for individuals to get away with things on MSNBC, except during the Me Too era.

"The MSNBC insider stated, "I'm not concerned about what someone does to Al. My focus is on how this fits into our identity. How does this happen? How does half a million dollars change hands?… How can you hold someone accountable in an interview when they donate money to you? We're told not to take tickets to a ballgame!""

"The sentiment towards Al is mixed, ranging from disappointment to disgust. The idea that one must donate money to receive an interview is unacceptable, as it goes against organizational rules. Even a three-year-old would recognize the potential conflict in this."

The MSNBC staffer was surprised by the network's misstep in handling the controversy.

"Wow, MSNBC's initial reaction to the Otto scandal was like, 'wow.' That's something... It's hard to believe that the campaign didn't anticipate this coming out and being a bad look for them. If Kamala Harris had become president, it would have been a scandal!... You're not going to change my mind with tickets to a ballgame, but for half a million dollars? You might!"

The employee stated, "That kind of money should not be given to individuals who are pretending to be journalists. Perhaps the term 'journalist' is not fair because I am unsure if he is one. However, it feels like a pay-to-play situation, which is not right. As we are still part of the same organization, there should be a set of common rules. My understanding is that this would be a violation of those rules, and it feels like I couldn't get away with it."

MSNBC did not immediately respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.

Planet Chronicle' Brian Flood contributed to this report.