Attributing anonymous sources, NY magazine reported on Tuesday that Kelly had told investigators working for Fox News Channel parent 21st Century Fox that Ailes had sexually harassed her when she was a reporter at Fox 10 years ago.
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[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. Ailes needs to quit by August 1 or will be fired, according to NY.
“Gretchen Carlson’s allegations are false”. She worked for the network for 11 years, serving as co-host in the popular morning “Fox & Friends” show and as a host of her own afternoon news broadcast.
If Ailes does leave, a mass exodus of front-and-center talent and a possible ideological shift from staunchly conservative editorial content could hoist Kelly into a new leadership role within the cable outlet, according to media observers.
‘Roger Ailes has never sexually harassed Megyn Kelly, ‘ Susan Estrich wrote in a statement. She couldn’t be reached for comment and her agent declined to comment.
The powerful news executive is reviled by many liberals for what they say is his manipulative, intellectually dishonest and overly aggressive approach to politicizing news.
After Carlson’s allegations surfaced in a lawsuit, other Fox personalites, including Greta Van Susteren and Jeanine Pirro, supported Ailes, even as other women agreed with Carlson that there was a problem.
A spokesman for 21st Century Fox issued a statement earlier today, saying: “Roger is at work”.
There also were reports the Murdochs who head 21st Century Fox were moving to oust Ailes. In the statement, she said that Ailes “has spent much of the last decade promoting and helping her to achieve the stardom she earned”. “And the only agreement that is in place is his existing employment agreement”. He advised Richard Nixon on television strategy ahead of the 1968 presidential contest and later was involved in the campaigns of other Republican presidents, including Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. In it, she alleges that Ailes had “sabotaged” her career after she “refused his sexual advances”, and that her job was terminated in retaliation for rebuffing him and complaining to him about sexual harassment. Ailes is a former media consultant for Republican presidents who became the founding CEO of Fox News in October 1996. Mr. Ailes also didn’t respond to an email.
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But by Tuesday evening, even the New York Post ― which, like Ailes, ultimately reports to Murdoch ― was reporting that Ailes’ “end is near”.
