However, contrary to some news reports on Tuesday, “there is no deal”, Ailes’ attorney Susan Estrich said.
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In a statement, 21st Century Fox said that Ailes, 76, is now still an employee. On Tuesday, Sherman reported that Fox star Megyn Kelly had relayed her own account of harassment by Ailes to lawyers investigating on behalf of 21 Century Fox, the network’s parent company.
According to a source, Kelly became riled up when several female employees at Fox rushed to defend Ailes in the media after former Fox host Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit earlier this month.
Lawyers for Carlson are trying to stop Ailes from moving her lawsuit from New Jersey state court to NY federal court and forcing the case into private arbitration under the terms of her contract.
The lawsuit filed by Ms Carlson claims she was sacked after refusing his sexual advances.
Carlson’s lawyer, Nancy Erika Smith, told The Washington Post on Tuesday that 20 women have contacted her law firm with allegations of harassment by Ailes.
“I noticed the people who’ve been saying “he never sexually harassed me” also, by the way, work for Fox News, which was such a weird coincidence”, Coulter told HuffPost. Fox News has a strong presence at the Republican National Convention now underway in Ohio.
The Ailes ouster story took a confusing turn Tuesday afternoon when The Drudge Report first published an agreement indicating that Ailes would walk away with million and then pulled the supposed agreement.
21st Century Fox, which shares common ownership with News Corp., parent of The Post, will report fourth-quarter and full fiscal-year results on August 3.
Ailes, 76, has also always been at the center of GOP politics, and the timing of the discussions between Ailes and 21st Century Fox was remarkable, occurring on the second day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
“There’s lots of cross-talk, but no agreement has been reached”, she said.
Fox News declined to comment on the reports. “The review is ongoing”. Some former Fox News executives think the younger Murdochs ultimately would want to hire an executive they are familiar with if they make a change.
The report, from Fox News media correspondent Howard Kurtz, addressed the NY magazine report that Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly has accused Ailes of sexual harassment, as well as rumors the CEO had already been ousted. That had given Ailes power in some corporate scrapes he had with Rupert Murdoch’s sons. Now the only agreement that they have in place with the man is the existing employment agreement between himself and the company.
When Lachlan Murdoch served as deputy chief operating officer of the company over a decade ago – when it was known as News Corp. – he bumped up against Mr. Ailes over the management of Fox’s local-television stations.
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Fox News and Ailes have denied Carlson’s allegations.
