Kiwis to Matt Lauer: You Can Keep the Ranch ... for Now

He may have lost his job and his reputation—but Matt Lauer gets to keep his Kiwi ranch, at least for the moment. The New York Times reports that the ex-Today show co-host, who's accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, can retain the lease on the Hunter Valley Station ranch in New Zealand, which has strict "good character" mandates for foreign buyers of property there. Per the Washington Post, the Overseas Investment Office took sworn statements from Lauer and touched base with NBC as part of its investigation, but rep Lisa Barrett tells the Times there simply wasn't enough evidence to yank the ownership from Lauer, although the government agency "did not condone the inappropriate way" Lauer had behaved while at NBC. Barrett adds the OIO will continue to "monitor the matter." (More Matt Lauer stories.)