Fox News: Fair And Balanced

Judith Regan filed a lawsuit against New Corporation (owner of Fox News) over her termination. regan asserts that a News Corporation executive asked her to lie about her affair with Bernard Kerik.

The lawsuit asserts that the News Corporation executive wanted to protect the presidential aspirations of Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mr. Kerik’s mentor, who had appointed him New York City police commissioner and had recommended him for the federal post.

Ms. Regan makes the charge at the start of a 70-page filing that seeks $100 million in damages for what she says was a campaign to smear and discredit her by her bosses at HarperCollins and its parent company, News Corporation, after her project to publish a book with O.J. Simpson was abandoned amid a storm of protest.

Regan maintains that New Corp didn't want the Kerik affair to become public because it might impact Rudy Giuliani's presidential hopes. Roger Ailes worked as a media consultant for America's Mayor. Giuliani attended a White House dinner at the invitation of News Corp.

So far this year, one political journal found, Mr. Giuliani has logged more time on Fox interview programs than any other candidate. Most of the time has been spent with Sean Hannity, an acknowledged admirer of the former mayor, according to the data compiled by the journal, known as The Hotline.

Fox executives say Mr. Giuliani’s appearances have been driven by his news value and by his status as a front-runner, not by his relationship with Mr. Ailes.

Is Fox News being "fair and balanced" if the network has Giuliani on more than other GOP candidates?

Update: The Smoking Gun has a copy of the lawsuit.

It is now widely accepted that one of Giuliani's major political vulnerabilities is his association with Bernard Kerik, the former New York Police Commissioner and member of Giuliani Partners who was recently indicted on federal charges of tax fraud and corruption. Defendants were well aware that Regan had a personal relationship with Kerik. In fact, a senior executive in the News Corp. organization told that he believed she had information about Kerik that, if disclosed, would harm Giuliani's presidential campaign. This executive advised Regan to lie to, and withhold information from, investigators concerning Kerik. Indeed, another News Corp. executive not to produce clearly relevant documents in connection with the government's investigation of Kerik. Thus, because of the damaging information that defendants knew they would be protecting Giuliani if they could preemptivly discredit her.

There were two News Corp. executives that attempted to silence Regan. Very interesting.