The Sexual Harassment Case Against Fox News's Bill O'Reilly
Why Winning May Be O'Reilly's Costliest Option
Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly's mouth has made him a great deal of money. Now, it looks like it may cost him a great deal of money.
O'Reilly is the host of the number-one rated cable news show, aptly named "The O'Reilly Factor," as well its cousin, "The Radio Factor." He is also the best-selling author of several books. And recently, he became the defendant in a sexual harassment suit that turns on comments he made.
The plaintiff is Andrea Mackris, a 33-year-old journalist who, beginning in 2000, worked as a booker, and then a producer, for "The O'Reilly Factor." On October 13, Mackris's attorneys filed suit against O'Reilly in New York County Supreme Court. Then, six days later, they amended the complaint to include additional claims against O'Reilly and his employers.
Interestingly, it was O'Reilly, however, who beat Mackris to the courthouse. Hours before she filed her original complaint, O'Reilly's attorney, Ronald M. Green, filed one on O'Reilly's behalf. That complaint accused Mackris and her lawyer of, among other things, "attempted extortion." It alleged that in demanding $60 million, Mackris wasn't asking for a settlement to a possible claim; she was asking for "hush money."
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Why Winning May Be O'Reilly's Costliest Option