Roger Ailes Hires Feminist, Ex-Prosecutor, and Gawker’s Slayer to Fight Media

The ousted Fox News chairman is battling lawsuits over—and reporting about—alleged sexual harassment.

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By Paul Barrett

September 6, 2016 at 7:23 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Roger Ailes has taken an unusual approach to resolving his legal woes. While working toward a settlement of sexual harassment allegations, the former chairman of Fox News has assembled an impressive stable of legal talent to push back against probing coverage of the events leading to his ouster in July.

Today’s headline in the continuing saga is that Fox News agreed to a $20 million settlement with former anchor Gretchen Carlson, 50. Her allegations of being mistreated by Ailes, 76, sparked an internal investigation followed by his departure. “We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve,” parent company 21st Century Fox said in a statement.