NBC anchor Lester Holt once questioned whether former coworker Matt Lauer deserved to be canned in the wake of his sexual-assault scandal, according to journalist Ronan Farrow’s new book.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter wrote in “Catch and Kill” that Holt expressed skepticism to colleagues about the “Today” host’s dismissal in 2017.

“Does the punishment fit the crime?” he asked in a “Dateline NBC” staff meeting, according to the book.

The initial reports of Lauer’s firing said NBC had received a detailed complaint from a colleague alleging sexual harassment. Farrow reported new revelations about Lauer’s dismissal, including identifying former NBC staffer Brooke Nevils as his accuser.

Nevils told Farrow that she went to NBCUniversal with a lawyer in 2017 to report that Lauer anally raped her during an assignment.

She claimed that the two were covering the 2014 Sochi Olympics when Lauer invited her back to his hotel room.

“She described the incident in detail, making it clear that she’d been too drunk to consent and that she’d said no to Lauer’s request repeatedly,” Farrow wrote.

Lauer received the pink slip the next day from NBC execs over what they said at the time was “inappropriate workplace conduct.”

The former anchor, however, has since denied that the sexual encounter with Nevils wasn’t consensual.

“There was absolutely nothing aggressive about that encounter,” he said in a statement. “Brooke did not do or say anything to object. She certainly did not cry. She was a fully enthusiastic and willing partner.”

Reps for NBC didn’t respond to request for comment.

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