[Photo By Drew Angerer/Getty Images]The news of Roger Ailes’ departure comes hot on the heels of a litany of sexual assault allegations brought against him by recently departed Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson. 21st Century Fox hired the NY law firm Paul, Weiss to investigate the case and interview others at Fox about Ailes.
Advertisement
Megyn Kelly is the latest female Fox News Channel personality to accuse the chairman of sexual harassment.
21st Century Fox and Wall Street Journal-owner News Corp NWSA, +0.48% were part of the same company until mid-2013. After she refused, he chased her around the office before letting her go.
Estrich told CNNMoney the “term sheet” that Drudge published “does not reflect any deal”.
Carlson alleged that Ailes made comments about her physical appearance, and once told her that he would pick her to be stranded with on a desert island and that they should have had a sexual relationship long ago. “He is the most important person in conservative movement in America”, Hollywood Reporter columnist Michael Wolff – who has written about Ailes extensively and a book on Rupert Murdoch – told NBC News Tuesday. The network said Tuesday that its internal review is continuing.
Coulter also took a jab at Kelly who, so far, has publicly been silent on the recent allegations from Carlson and a half dozen other women. Separately, Fox News on Tuesday sued Charter Communications Inc., alleging breach of contract.
She confirmed that “there’s lots of cross-talk, but no agreement has been reached”. The document, whose authenticity has not yet been verified, also shows that, until mid-2017, the person to whom the document refers “will provide advice and services as requested by KRM, Executive Chairman of 21CF, and continue to act in the Company’s best interests”. But Ailes’ imperial managing style has left Fox without any clear successor.
James Murdoch reportedly wanted to give Ailes the option to step down or be fired this week, while his father and brother preferred to hold off until this week’s Republican National Convention was over. He was a media consultant for three successful Republican presidential candidates – Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush – but retired as a political consultant after working on Richard Thornburgh’s losing Senate campaign in 1991.
Ailes’ departure could lead to uncertainty at Fox News Channel because of the loyalty of many anchors.
Doocy later joined Fox, where he co-hosted the “Fox and Friends” morning program with Carlson.
By Wednesday morning Ailes had launched a counteroffensive against Kelly. “Everyone there wants clarity, because you have the stars of the network in Cleveland”.
Advertisement
This year, aided by strong interest in the election, Fox News reported a 37 percent spike in prime-time ratings in the key advertiser demographic of 25- to 54-year-olds.
