Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
In a dramatic turn of events, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, ousted from the network two weeks ago, has accused Fox of fraud and contract breach. First reported by Axios, Carlson’s lawyers have submitted a letter to the network containing document demands that could potentially lead to legal action.
The latest development is significant as Carlson’s aggressive stance may allow him to argue that the noncompete provision in his contract is invalid, enabling him to launch a competing show or media enterprise.
On Tuesday, Carlson announced plans to bring a new version of his show to Twitter, a move that may technically violate his contract with Fox. However, his lawyers’ letter suggests that Fox breached the contract first.
Carlson’s frustration with being held to his contract has led to preparations for mobilizing allies to pressure the network into allowing him to work for—or start—a right-wing rival. His contract, which extends until January 2025, prevents him from starting a competing show as long as Fox continues to pay him. Despite this constraint, Carlson has received lucrative offers from several right-wing outlets and has discussed potential collaboration with Elon Musk.
The letter from Carlson’s lawyers accuses Fox employees, including Rupert Murdoch, of breaking promises to Carlson “intentionally and with reckless disregard for the truth.” They allege that Fox executives made material representations or promises to Carlson that were intentionally broken, constituting fraud.
The letter also accuses Fox of breaching agreements by leaking Carlson’s private communications to the media and using them to take adverse employment action against him. Furthermore, it claims that Fox violated promises not to settle with Dominion Voting Systems in a manner that would imply wrongdoing by Carlson or harm his reputation.
Fox News responded and categorically denied that Carlson lost his job as part of the network’s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.
As the situation unfolds, Carlson’s lawyers plan to subpoena Fox’s communications and PR chief, Irena Briganti, for her cell phone records and related documents, alleging that she attempted to undermine and interfere with Carlson’s future business prospects. Fox News has been instructed to preserve all existing documents and data relevant to its relationship with Carlson.
The dramatic escalation of tensions between Tucker Carlson and Fox News is being closely monitored, with many observers eagerly awaiting further developments in this high-stakes conflict.
God be with him