The legal team of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday sent the network, which fired him last month, a scathing letter accusing it of fraud and contract violations that could merit litigation.
The document challenges the noncompete provision of Carlson’s contract, which if nullified could allow the star to develop a new show or media project independent of Fox, according to The National Review and first reported by Axios. Written by attorney Bryan Freedman and addressed to Fox officials Viet Dinh and Irena Briganti, the letter claimed that Fox breached its contract with Carlson, therefore making it excusable for him to start a new media venture. Freedman alleged that Fox staff, including “Rupert Murdoch himself,” reneged on commitments to Carlson “intentionally and with reckless disregard for the truth” that amounted to fraud, Axios said.
Fox violated a promise made to Carlson, the letter said, not to leak his private messages to the press or use them “to take any adverse employment action against him,” the outlet added.
During the discovery process in the case between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox, some of Carlson’s texts were unearthed, revealing disparaging comments he made about the company’s management. In other messages, Carlson blasted former president Trump, saying “I hate him passionately.” Some outlets have speculated that Carlson’s attacks on Fox’s leadership in those communications contributed to his ouster.
The letter argues that Fox broke an agreement not to settle the lawsuit with Dominion “in a way which would indicate wrongdoing” by Carlson in the drama. Two sources told Axios that a member of the Fox board told Carlson his job was axed as a condition of the Dominion settlement.
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