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Topline
Fox News producer Abby Grossberg filed two lawsuits against the network on Monday, accusing its lawyers of coercing and intimidating her into giving misleading testimony that put her reputation at risk in the ongoing defamation case brought against the network by Dominion Voting Systems, prompting Fox to respond with a request for a temporary restraining order against her.
Giant portraits of the news anchors at Fox News headquarters building in New York City.
Key Facts
According to the New York Times, Grossberg—who worked as a producer for both Tucker Carlson and Maria Bartiromo—filed lawsuits against her employer in New York and Delaware.
Grossberg alleges she was coached by Fox’s lawyers in “a coercive and intimidating manner” ahead of her deposition in the Dominion defamation case last September.
The Tucker Carlson producer—who has also accused Fox News of fomenting a culture of misogyny and discrimination—claims in her suit that both her and Bartiromo were being set up to take the blame in the Dominion case, while top male executives and on-air talent were protected.
Fox News responded by seeking a temporary restraining order against Grossberg, alleging she was trying to make privileged conversations between herself and the network’s lawyers public, the Daily Beast reported.
A Fox spokesperson told the New York Times that an “independent outside counsel” is investigating Grossberg’s allegations, which the network claims were made after “a critical performance review.”
News Peg
According to the NYT report, Grossberg’s lawsuits include multiple allegations of misogynistic and discriminatory behavior by the network’s staff and leadership. She alleges the network’s top leadership was disparaging towards Bartiromo and called her a “crazy bitch” who was “menopausal.” After joining Tucker Carlson Tonight last year, Grossberg alleges she heard multiple lewd and sexist remarks about various women, including Bartiromo, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her 2022 midterm opponent Tudor Dixon, from the show’s staffers.
Key Background
Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox News for defamation in 2021, accusing the network of pushing false claims about its electronic voting machines and election fraud following the 2020 Presidential elections. Dominion alleges Fox was aware that the fraud claims were false, but chose to push them anyway to boost its profits and viewership. Court filings unsealed both in February and earlier this month showed that top Fox News executives and hosts were themselves skeptical of the election fraud narrative being pushed on air.
Further Reading
Fox Producer Says She Was Set Up in Dominion Case (New York Times)
Fox News Tries to Silence a Tucker Carlson Producer Threatening to Reveal Internal Convos (Daily Beast)
Here Are The Most Explosive Comments Fox News Stars—Carlson, Ingraham, Hannity—And Murdoch Made Off-Camera About Trump And The 2020 Election (Forbes)
