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Bill O’Reilly’s Fox Deal Shielded Him From Getting Fired Over Allegations

Fox director Nasser reveals contract terms to U.K. regulators
Sexual-harassment handling is weighing on Fox’s bid for Sky

Bill O'Reilly — Bill O'Reilly
Photographer: Rob Kim/Getty Images North America

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November 8, 2017, 4:23 PM UTCUpdated onNovember 8, 2017, 6:07 PM UTC

Former Fox News star Bill O’Reilly had a deal with the 21st Century Fox Inc. network that he couldn’t be fired over unproven harassment allegations, a fresh revelation that casts doubt over corporate-governance standards at Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

O’Reilly’s contract said he couldn’t be dismissed based on an allegation unless it was proven in court, Jacques Nasser, an independent Fox director, told U.K.’s Competition & Markets Authority, according to a summary published Wednesday. O’Reilly, the former host of “The O’Reilly Factor,” has denied all wrongdoing.