A former Fox News Capitol Hill reporter and producer has sued the network, claiming he was wrongfully fired for speaking out about the network’s false coverage of the 2020 presidential election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
In a lawsuit filed in DC Superior Court, Jason Donner claimed he was fired after complaining in writing to Fox News’ human resources department and to his supervisor, NuNu Japaridze. In the complaint sent to them on May 24, 2022, Donner wrote, “Fox News has not supported its journalists since the attack on the Capitol on January 6.” Allowing highly paid anchors and contributors is not only demoralizing, and factually incorrect about that day, but also creates a hostile work environment. I hardly watch our programs anymore and hardly read our website anymore because it is hard to digest that these falsehoods are being spread and written.” Donner previously complained to regulators about the Capitol siege, including when Tucker Carlson aired his documentary Patriotic PurificationHe claimed the attack on the Capitol was a false flag operation.
In the lawsuit, Donner’s attorneys wrote that in August 2022, he met with human resources via Zoom for more than two hours and complained “about Tucker Carlson’s false reporting and toxic environment.”
This is breeding at Fox News, as is the network’s lack of support for reporters.”
A month after that conversation, Donner called in sick because he was recovering from a Covid vaccination he had received. Japaridze called him the next day and “accused Donner of irresponsibility and questioned Donner’s work ethic, even though Donner worked three nights past 9:00 p.m.”
the week before when I got sick from the COVID vaccination,” the lawsuit states. She then hung up, the complaint says.
The next day, Donner was informed that he was fired “for being late for work and not showing up for work (presumably referring to September 26, 2022, when Donner called in sick). Donner asked for samples, and Boughton said, ‘We don’t need them.’
His lawyers said his firing was a pretext based on his political views and beliefs and his refusal to provide false information about the 2020 election and January 6.
“Finally, Fox News sought to purge the news division of any employees who failed to comply with instructions to only report information that appeased Trump supporters and former President Trump,” the lawsuit states.
The Daily Beast first reported Donner’s lawsuit, which came to light when Fox News lawyers tried to take the lawsuit to federal court in DC
A Fox News spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Donner now works as a senior aide to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).
His lawsuit alleges wrongful termination and discrimination and retaliation under the DC Human Rights Act.
The lawsuit relates to Dominion Voting Systems’ lawsuit against the network, which was eventually settled for $787.5 million in April.
One revelation from the Dominion lawsuit was what happened to Kristin Fisher, then a Fox News White House correspondent, after she monitored a November 2020 press conference by Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell in which she made wild and unsubstantiated claims about elections which is set up. Fraud. Fisher was told that she “had better respect our audience.”
Donner’s lawyers wrote that he attended the Giuliani-Powell press conference and tweeted: “At this press conference, Rudy Giuliani continues to claim election fraud in Philadelphia, but he said it in a Pennsylvania court: ‘It is not’ not a fraud case.’
Later that day, Donner’s immediate supervisor, Anita Siegfriedt, told him that, according to the lawsuit, he was “not allowed to tweet his ‘opinions.’
“This was in contrast to Siegfriedt, as she had always praised Donner’s work and had never previously objected to Donner’s reporting,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also recounted Donner’s experience at the Capitol on Jan. 6. He was in the Fox News booth above the Senate Radio TV Gallery Studio. As the mob breached the Capitol barricades, he and others fled to the news booths. However, the lawsuit says, “When the U.S. Capitol was attacked, Fox News reported that the insurgents were ‘peaceful.'” Later that day, Fox News’ Martha MacCallum said of these people during a Fox News live feed: “When you hear their voices, you can understand why they were deeply disappointed.” This statement was made around the same time that shots were fired outside the House of Representatives, tear gas was used in the Ohio Bell Corridor, and rioters were present in the Senate Chamber.
According to the lawsuit, when Donner heard this report, he called the Fox News control room and said, “I’m your Capitol Hill producer at the Capitol, where tear gas is being fired on the second floor in the Ohio Clock corridor, rioters what a storm.” building, shots are reported to have been fired outside the living room. I never want to hear that fucking crap again because you’re going to kill us all.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and other relief.
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
