Just before 7 p.m. Tuesday, Fox News anchor Bret Baier broke away from ongoing coverage of Donald Trump's nomination to cover the controversy surrounding Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes.
The report, from Fox News media correspondent Howard Kurtz, addressed the New York magazine report that Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly has accused Ailes of sexual harassment, as well as rumors the CEO had already been ousted.
Ailes is reportedly in talks with 21st Century Fox to exit the company amid an internal review into allegations of sexual harassment. That review was trigged when former Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming he sexually harassed her and retaliated when she refused his advances.
Here's the transcript of the Fox News report:
BRET BAIER: Meanwhile, a developing media story about this channel — Fox News Channel and our parent company, 21st Century Fox. Here’s Howie Kurtz, Howie.
HOWIE KURTZ: …Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes. So let’s try to clear up what we can. 21st Century Fox, the parent company of this network, says in a statement that Ailes remains on the job in the wake of sexual harassment lawsuit, with allegations vehemently denied by Ailes filed by Gretchen Carlson after her contract as a daytime Fox anchor was not renewed. Can move that prompter a little faster please. The company has launched an internal review of the matter. Now New York magazine citing unnamed sources reported today that Fox anchor Megyn Kelly told the outside law firm conducting the review that Ailes sexually harassed her when she was a Fox reporter about a decade ago. Kelly has not addressed the matter publicly at all. Ailes’ lawyer Susan Estrich responded with this statement and I will quote: “Roger Ailes never sexually harassed Megyn Kelly. In fact, he has spent much of the last decade promoting and helping her to achieve the stardom she earned, for which she has repeatedly and publicly thanked him." And that is where things stand for now Bret in this developing story.