When word broke that Tucker Carlson was leaving Fox News, the network made it sound like they were amicably parting ways. According to subsequent reports, that’s not so. For one thing, the Putin-loving host was allegedly fired. For another, he apparently had no idea what was coming and was as surprised as everyone else. This all may get incredibly messy — or maybe not, seeing that Fox News may have enough dirt to keep him in line.
As per Rolling Stone, multiple sources claim the conservative network’s communications department — run by the notoriously aggressive Irena Briganti — have what one called an “oppo file” on Tucker. Within it lie “complaints regarding workplace conduct, disparaging comments about management and colleagues, and allegations that the now-former primetime host created a toxic work environment, three of the sources say.”
A Fox News spokesperson denied the claim, calling it “patently absurd.” But four former on-air personalities claim Briganti keeps “dirt files” on its stars, Carlson included.
“Irena tries to keep a file on everybody,” one former anchor told RS. “ Any talent like Tucker would have a lot of things; other people complaining. They encourage it and then just keep it on file. It’s just a classic dirty trick.”
Another said Briganti “keeps files on everybody to screw with them,” adding, “It’s classic Fox.”
If true, it would be in line with previous similar claims about how Fox News management treats their stars. A 2018 Daily Beast report unearthed “emails reviewed and verified” by the outlet that “show that Fox’s communications brass have planted negative stories about some of their own top stars, including hosts like Bill O’Reilly and Stuart Varney — the latter of whom is still a Fox employee.”
Then there’s Megyn Kelly. When she left the network in 2017 in a failed attempt to go mainstream at NBC, it was reported that Briganti published unflattering stories about her. Kelly in turn has trashed Briganti’s “vindictiveness.”
So Tucker better watch out, or we’ll find out more dirt than has already been made public by former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg, which has already been bad enough.
(Via Rolling Stone)