Steve Scully back working at C-SPAN after suspension for lying about getting hacked on Twitter

C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully returned to work this week after he was placed on an indefinite "administrative leave" in October for admittedly lying about his Twitter account being hacked.

Scully – who has led the network's presidential election coverage since 1992 and who was slated to host the second presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden before it was canceled – claimed at the time he was hacked after he showed clear bias in a tweet to former White House communications director-turned-Trump critic Anthony Scaramucci.

"We view October's events as a singular episode in an otherwise successful 30-year C-SPAN career," read a C-SPAN statement provided to USA TODAY by communications director Howard Mortman.

"And while it was appropriate in October for Steve to be immediately relieved of his duties leading our 2020 election coverage, we reiterate our belief that now, having completed a three-month administrative leave, he can continue to contribute to C-SPAN's mission."

C-SPAN said Scully's "initial assignments" will be to produce off the air for their television station, along with "resumption of his work" for its "Washington Today" radio program and "The Weekly" podcast. A date has not been set for his on-air return.

On Oct. 8, Scully wrote, "@Scaramucci should I respond to trump," in response to the president dubbing him a "Never Trumper." The tweet tagged the president's former communications director, Scaramucci, who has become a critic of Trump since his brief stint at the White House.

The tweet sparked backlash the following morning over its clear bias and Scully claimed his Twitter account had been hacked. C-SPAN and the Commission on Presidential Debates backed Scully's claims.

A week later, however, Scully admitted to making "errors in judgement" and apologized to C-SPAN.

"Out of frustration, I sent a brief tweet addressed to Anthony Scaramucci. The next morning when I saw that this tweet had created a new controversy, I falsely claimed that my Twitter account had been hacked," he said in a statement.

Previously: C-SPAN suspends Steve Scully after he admits he lied about hack after Trump tweet

Scully said he let down his colleagues at C-SPAN, fellow news professionals and the debate commission. “I ask for their forgiveness as I try to move forward in a moment of reflection and disappointment in myself,” he said.

C-SPAN said Scully first came clean about lying about the Twitter hack on Oct. 14.

"He understands that he made a serious mistake," the network told the Associated Press, which broke the news about Scully's suspension. "We were very saddened by this news and do not condone his actions."

Contributing: Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, and the Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: C-SPAN's Steve Scully back at work after suspension for tweet, lying