courtesy Reuters News Service
Popular former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who was fired over allegations of sexual harassment, said on Tuesday he was the victim of a “political and financial hit job” and that he had never mistreated anyone in his 42-year career.
In his first TV interview since being fired in April, O’Reilly, whose pugnacious The O’Reilly Factor was the most-watched cable news show, said he was brought down by sponsor boycotts and wider business decisions at Twenty-First Century Fox.
“This was hit job, a political and financial hit job,” O’Reilly said in the interview on NBC’s Today show.
“There were a lot of other business things in play at that time and still today that 21st Century was involved with,” he added.
A Fox representative did not immediately return calls for comment.
O’Reilly gave no details but Fox is currently seeking government approval in the UK for its $15 billion bid to take over broadcaster Sky.
O’Reilly was forced out after a New York Times report that he had paid five women a total of $13 million to settle sexual harassment claims in the past. Nine months earlier, then-Fox News chief Roger Ailes resigned after facing similar allegations. Ailes died in May.
O’Reilly on Tuesday again denied any wrongdoing in his interactions with women at Fox, and said he was fighting to clear his name.
“My conscience is clear,” he said. “What I have done is organize a legal team to get the truth to the American people.
“Nobody’s a perfect person, but I can go to sleep at night very well knowing that I never mistreated anyone on my watch in 42 years.”
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He is one self-entitled horses ass in my opinion. I for one am glad that this old school reporter is slowly fading from the scene, at least at the top levels. If his conscience is so clear, why doesnt he take somebody to court now. I hope we have heard the last of this horses ass, but sadly probably not.
It seemed very odd how quickly his show disappeared, and the “sponsor boycott” angle seemed a bit convenient. O’Reilly is making many public appearances right now, it will be interesting to see how things turn out for him.
I found Bill O’Reilly as fair and balanced as one could find a political commentator in the media today. I’m ticked off that he put himself in such as position to get himself forced off the air. I now listen to him via his webcast. Unlike Rush Limbaugh, who I agree with about 50 percent of the time, I find myself agreeing with Bill about 85 percent of the time due to his more pragmatic way of thinking.