Bill O’Reilly’s attorney released a statement yesterday, accusing “far-left” groups for running a smear campaign against the TV presenter. He further said that he will be revealing evidence of his claims soon.
“Bill O’Reilly has been subjected to a brutal campaign of character assassination that is unprecedented in post-McCarthyist America,” attorney Marc Kasowitz’s statement read.
The statement seems to refer to the allegations of sexual harassment against Bill O’Reilly, who’s been on a vacation from his show, this week. O’Reilly has been blitzed by protestors and several social media campaigns that have forced his show, “The O’Reilly Factor” to lose over a dozen advertisers already.
“This law firm has uncovered evidence that the smear campaign is being orchestrated by far-left organizations bent on destroying O’Reilly for political and financial reasons,” it concluded. “That evidence will be put forth shortly and it is irrefutable.”
However, the statement contained no evidence of the claim it made.
A number of sources have claimed that Fox News and O’Reilly are already discussing his potential exit from the major cable TV network.
The current campaign to get rid of O’Reilly started after an investigation by The New York Times found at least five women who claimed to have been victims of sexual harassment by O’Reilly. According to the New York Times, the amount paid out to these women, in exchange for their silence and an agreement to not pursue litigation, totaled to around $13 million.
In response to the allegations, O’Reilly admitted that he has on occasions “put to rest any controversies” in order to protect his family, in a statement on his website.
“Just like other prominent and controversial people, I’m vulnerable to lawsuits from individuals who want me to pay them to avoid negative publicity. In my more than 20 years at Fox News Channel, no one has ever filed a complaint about me with the Human Resources Department, even on the anonymous hotline.
But most importantly, I’m a father who cares deeply for my children and who would do anything to avoid hurting them in any way. And so I have put to rest any controversies to spare my children.
The worst part of my job is being a target for those who would harm me and my employer, the Fox News Channel. Those of us in the arena are constantly at risk, as are our families and children. My primary efforts will continue to be to put forth an honest TV program and to protect those close to me.”