CNN's Brian Stelter covers the story of how Fox News clearly would do anything to get this behind them. Gretchen Carlson allegedly had audio tape of harassment spanning two years. Rough transcript, h/t Scarce:
CAROLE COSTELLO: It is in the eight figures, tens of millions of dollars. That's how much money former anchor Gretchen Carlson is reportedly collecting from Fox News. According to Vanity Fair, the settlement is coming just two months after she sued Roger Ailes and the network for sexual harassment. In addition to that settlement, an apology could also be coming from Fox.
BRIAN STELTER: No one expected this lawsuit wow, two months ago and no one expected this settlement today. Vanity Fair reporting this is a $20 million settlement over Gretchen Carlson's allegations of harassment and retaliation by former Fox chief Roger Ailes. In this statement, it is again unlike something we've really seen before in corporate America, it says in part:
"21st Century Fox is pleased to announce that it has settled Gretchen Carlson's lawsuit. During her tenure, ...she developed a loyal audience and was a daily source of information for many Americans. we sincerely regret and apologize that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of her colleagues deserve."
Roger Ailes has continued to deny the allegations leveled against him, but the company is acknowledging that she was wronged in some fashion and is apologizing publicly for it.
COSTELLO: This is just so big in my mind. I don't remember any other victim of sexual harassment settling for such a huge amount of money.
STELTER: This is beyond Fox News, this is beyond television news. This is about corporate America more broadly and what it means when a woman who has been fired from her job comes forward and says there was a pattern of harassment and retaliation against her. I think this settlement may suggest yes she did have recordings, yes she did have damaging evidence against Ailes and maybe against Fox.
COSTELLO: Otherwise it would boil down to a he-said/she-said. She must have had some pretty powerful stuff against Roger Ailes to make this settlement possible.
STELTER: The two other women have also settled in the situation. Carlson only sued Ailes individually, Fox News was on the hook, because of Ailes contract.
Don't forget that Fox News makes their parent company 20th Century Fox a BILLION dollars in PROFIT each YEAR. This is a calculated pay off to make something very very bad go away.
And Roger Ailes suing Gabriel Sherman for his reporting is likely to bring out more dirt.
The CNN folks close the segment with the bombshell report that Greta Van Susteren is leaving the network effective today?! There will be more on that, you can bet, in the coming hours and days.
The worm has turned, it's the year of karma, and it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of right wing propagandists.
