According to sources familiar with 21 Century Fox's probe of Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, Megyn Kelly told investigators that when she first arrived at Fox as a legal analyst, Ailes sexually harassed her.
Kelly was a legal correspondent in the mid-2000s when, according to a detailed report she provided investigators, she claims Ailes harassed her. The speculation is that it is her participation in the investigation that has prompted Rupert Murdoch and his sons, James and Lachlan, to demand Ailes resign by August 1, as they believe Kelly is the future of the network.
For his part, Ailes has attempted a rearguard strategy that consists of his spokesperson, Irena Briganti, attacking Kelly in the media -- saying, in essence, that this is a typical case of someone biting the hand that first fed her -- and launching a samizdat pro-Ailes campaign helmed by Kimberly Guilfoyle of "The Five," a show whose profile on the network is far below that of "The Kelly File."
Lawyers at Paul, Weiss -- the firm conducting the investigation -- have reached out to a number of current and former Fox News employees, many of whom they believe have signed confidentiality agreements with Ailes. However, Dianne Brandi, Ailes' Fox-appointed attorney, is said to be waving those non-disclosure agreements and allowing these women to speak.
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