Fox News laid off its entire investigative unit of reporters one month after the cable news company settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million, Rolling Stone reported.
Last month, Fox News settled Dominion’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit for $787.5 million. Six days later, the cable news company cut ties with Tucker Carlson.
Carlson’s attorneys reportedly sent Fox News a letter that accused the company of agreeing to fire Carlson as part of its settlement with Dominion, among other things.
However, the electronic voting company has continually denied playing any role in Carlson’s firing.
Tucker Carlson, host of Tucker Carlson Tonight, poses for photos in a Fox News Channel studio on March 2, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
“As the Fox principals who negotiated the settlement well know, Dominion made no demands about Tucker Carlson’s employment orally or in writing,” a Dominion spokesperson told the Daily Caller. “Any claims otherwise are categorically false and a thinly veiled effort to further damage Dominion. Fox should take every effort to stop these lies immediately.”
A Fox News spokesperson also said reports about Dominion’s role in Carlson’s firing are “categorically false.”
Still, the company let go of its entire investigative unit on Friday, with more layoffs potentially on the way, according to Rolling Stone.
“Yes, [layoffs] have happened,” one staffer told the outlet. “And continue to happen.”
Related: CNN’s Darcy: Fox News Viewership “Collapsing” Among 25-54 Age Demo After Tucker Firing
Another Fox employee told Rolling Stone the laid-off reporters are the “sacrificial lambs,” of the Dominion settlement.
“The rank and file journalists are getting let go meanwhile upper management are sitting pretty while they are the execs responsible for the Dominion debacle,” the Fox employee said. “We are the sacrificial lambs.”
“The outrage is that Suzanne Scott and Maria Bartriomo keep their jobs,” one staffer added. “Meanwhile the journalists get let go. We are in shock.”
Another former Fox “talent” suspects the cable news company is trying to “get money off the books before June 30,” due to the Dominion settlement.
“I think producers, management, et cetera [are being laid-off],” a former Fox talent told Rolling Stone. “They are trying to get money off the books before June 30. They have to save money because of the [Dominion] lawsuit.”
However, the New York Daily News reported that a source said the investigative unit layoffs have “nothing to do with Dominion.”
Related: Weissmann: After Dominion, Lawmakers, Election Workers, Capitol Police Could Sue Fox News
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter.
