Andrea Tantaros roger ailes bill o'reilly sexual harassment allegations timeline recap lawsuit

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Fox News scored a major legal victory on Friday when a federal court in New York threw out a lawsuit by Andrea Tantaros, former co-host of the network’s “The Five.”

In his 19-page ruling, George B. Daniels of the Southern District Court in New York, said that Tantaros had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support her allegations, which included claims that the network had hacked into her computer and wiretapped her while at work and on her personal devices.

“Plaintiff’s amended complaint is based primarily on speculation and conjecture,” he wrote. “Moreover, she fails to adequately make out the basic elements of her claims.”

Also Read: Tucker Carlson Poses With Members of 'Hate Group' Proud Boys in Fox News Green Room

Tantaros first filed a sexual harassment suit against Ailes and Fox News in August of 2016, after filing internal complaints with the network about harassment in February of 2015. She was fired by the network in April of 2016.

Last April, she filed this suit alleging a campaign of wiretapping and invasion of her privacy. In an amended complaint filed in January, Tantaros also accused former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has secretly recorded her undressing during the network’s bi-annual trunk show.

The legal win is a welcome piece of good news for a company that has been buffeted by string of sexual misconduct accusations and settlements over the last two years which played a direct role in the departure of the network’s former CEO, Roger Ailes, and the network’s biggest star, Bill O’Reilly.

Also Read: Fox News Names Suzanne Scott as New CEO

Earlier this week, parent company 21st Century Fox announced that it had paid $10 million to settle 19 discrimination claims and also announced the promotion of Suzanne Scott to be the new CEO of Fox News.

She is the first woman to lead Fox News the only woman currently leading a major news organization.

A Fox News spokesperson declined to comment for this story.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.

The Evolution of Roger Ailes, From 'The Mike Douglas Show' to Fox News Innovator (Photos)

The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.
Fox News
Born and raised in Ohio, Roger Ailes attended Ohio University as a young man, majoring in radio and television. During his time there, he served as station manager for the university's WOUB radio for two years.
Ohio University
Ailes worked his way up to executive producer on the syndicated daytime talk show "The Mike Douglas Show," which began as a local program in Cleveland before expanding nationwide.
Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
In 1968, Ailes got an Emmy nod when "The Mike Douglas Show" was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming, ultimately losing to NBC's "Today" show.
After first meeting Richard Nixon on the set of "The Mike Douglas Show," Ailes was hired by the then-presidential candidate to be his media advisor during the campaign, which marked his first professional foray into politics.
Ailes continued consulting on presidential campaigns, serving as media consultant for three successful Republicans: Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Ailes produced the famous "revolving door" ad for Bush, which painted Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The piece was widely regarded as the most influential ad of the political cycle.
In 1988, Ailes co-authored a self-help book with Jon Kraushar. "You Are the Message" shared Ailes' tips for effective communication and public performances.
Simon and Schuster
In 1992, Ailes served as executive producer on a syndicated late-night talk show hosted by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, which ran for four years before coming to an end in 1996.
Ailes Productions
Ailes was named president of CNBC in 1993, where he launched the new cable network America's Talking, which was shut down and replaced with future Fox News competitor MSNBC.
America's Talking
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch hired Ailes to serve as founding CEO and Chariman of the Fox News Channel in 1996, which soon grew to become the most popular cable news network in the country.
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In 2016, Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by ousted Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. In July, Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming years of inappropriate behavior and sexual advances.
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On July 20, 2016, Ailes was forced to resign from Fox News amid the growing outcry over the sexual harassment allegations.
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Ailes died on May 18, 2017 at age 77.