Bill O’Reilly’s Attorney Strikes Back At NYT With Explosive Accusations Amid New Settlement Report (Updated)

The New York Times published a report Saturday, claiming former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly paid $32 million to settle sexual harassment charges made by contributor Lis Wiehl. In an explosive statement, O’Reilly’s attorney says the New York Times relied on stolen documents to file its report. 

O’Reilly’s attorney Mark Fabiani issued the following statement on the report:

Once again, The New York Times has maliciously smeared Bill O’Reilly, this time even failing to print a sworn affidavit from his former lawyer, Lis Wiehl, repudiating all allegations against Bill O’Reilly. The Times ignored that evidence, sworn under oath, and chose to rely on unsubstantiated allegations, anonymous sources and incomplete leaked or stolen documents.

The Times report alleged O’Reilly forced Wiehl into a non-consensual  sexual relationship and sent her sexually explicit material.

O’Reilly denied the allegations to the New York Times, stating “I have never mistreated anyone.” The former Fox News went on to suggest such allegations were “politically and financially motivated.”

“The settlement — a staggering figure for a sexual harassment case — was made in January, according to the news report, just before O’Reilly signed a new four-year contract that would pay him $25 million annually to continue as host of his top-rated prime-time program “The O’Reilly Factor,”” reports The New York Times.

The Chicago Tribune reports:

A representative of Fox News parent 21st Century Fox confirmed the settlement, but said it had not been aware of the financial terms at the time.

“When the company renewed Bill O’Reilly‘s contract in February, it knew that a sexual harassment lawsuit had been threatened against him by Lis Wiehl, but was informed by Mr. O’Reilly that he had settled the matter personally, on financial terms that he and Ms. Wiehl had agreed were confidential and not disclosed to the company,” the representative told the Los Angeles Times.

[…]

O’Reilly’s new deal included a stipulation that any further sexual harassment allegations made against him could lead to his termination.

The Murdoch family fired Bill O’Reilly in April – the top personality on cable news for the past 15 years.

UPDATE— The New York Times posted this tweet later on Saturday.

 

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