Staff Reports
Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly is speaking out about the recent dismissal of anchor Tucker Carlson, claiming that the decision was not made by the network, but instead was due to the mounting lawsuits against Fox. O’Reilly explained on his “No Spin” podcast that Fox did not want to let Carlson go, as he was their second-highest-rated program and their most well-known individual host. However, facing three separate lawsuits, the decision became inevitable.
The lawsuits referred to by O’Reilly include the recent $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, which alleged that the company’s inferior machines contributed to the loss of President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Additionally, Smartmatic is suing Fox for $2.7 billion and has named network personalities Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro, and former host Lou Dobbs. Smartmatic claims that these contributors not only reported on doubts raised about their software but also participated in statements with “reckless disregard” for the truth.
.@BillOReilly says Fox News didn’t want to part ways with Tucker Carlson, but pending lawsuits forced the network to remove him. Watch #CUOMO: https://t.co/s8z9kEhRC4 pic.twitter.com/26SllPRaSi
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) April 25, 2023
O’Reilly also discussed the tapes obtained by one of Carlson’s producers, which he claims are “not good” for the Carlson program. Finally, he pointed to Ray Epps’ recent comments on 60 Minutes, in which he accused Carlson of ruining his life and his family’s life by falsely accusing him of having a role in the January 6th riots at the Capitol. According to O’Reilly, this sets Epps up for a massive lawsuit against Fox News and Tucker Carlson.
With mounting legal battles, O’Reilly suggests that the board of directors at Fox had no choice but to “start cleaning this up.” The network is facing shareholder anger over the $800 million settlement and is now forced to fight off lawsuits from multiple sides. It is clear that the pressure is mounting, and Fox News is bracing for the legal storm ahead.
Source: Trending Politics
