Roger Ailes Fails to Move Sexual Harassment Suit From New Jersey

Lawyers for ex-Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes have agreed to keep Gretchen Carlson’s sexual harassment lawsuit in New Jersey, according to The New York Times.

Attorneys for Ailes were hoping to move Carlson’s suit from New Jersey (where it was filed) to arbitration in the Southern District Court in New York. Lawyers for Carlson accused Ailes’ team of “judge shopping,” according to the Times.

Last month, Ailes lawyers argued that the case should be handled in arbitration rather than in court, and that New York City was the right venue for the case. The legal team believed if the lawsuit remained in the Garden State, the details of the case would be public, which would give her the advantage of dragging Alies’ reputation through a public forum.

Also Read: Fox Wants Roger Ailes to Pay for Gretchen Carlson Settlement Himself

Carlson’s suit, filed in July, claims the former “Real Story” host refused Ailes’ sexual advances and, “as a direct and proximate result,” her relationship with Fox News was severed nine months later. According to the filing, Carlson’s employment was terminated on June 23, 2016.

The New Jersey federal court will now decide whether the case will go to trial or to arbitration. 21st Century Fox is requesting that Ailes pay for at least part of the impending settlement in Carlson’s sexual harassment suit, according to Vanity Fair.

Ailes has continued to deny all accusations against him, but several other women have come forward with similar claims. He stepped down as Fox News boss last month and Rubert Murdoch is running the network until a permanent replacement is named.

Roger Ailes' Career Evolution: From 'The Mike Douglas Show' to Fox News (Photos)

• The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.

  Fox News

• Born and raised in Ohio, Roger Ailes attended Ohio University as a young man, majoring in radio and television. During his time there, he served as station manager for the university's WOUB radio for two years.

  Ohio University

• Ailes worked his way up to executive producer on the syndicated daytime talk show "The Mike Douglas Show," which began as a local program in Cleveland before expanding nationwide.

  Westinghouse Broadcasting Company

• In 1968, Ailes got an Emmy nod when "The Mike Douglas Show" was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming, ultimately losing to NBC's "Today" show.

• After first meeting Richard Nixon on the set of "The Mike Douglas Show," Ailes was hired by the then-presidential candidate to be his media advisor during the campaign, which marked his first professional foray into politics.

• Ailes continued consulting on presidential campaigns, serving as media consultant for three successful Republicans: Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

• Ailes produced the famous "revolving door" ad for Bush, which painted Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The piece was widely regarded as the most influential ad of the political cycle.

• In 1988, Ailes co-authored a self-help book with Jon Kraushar. "You Are the Message" shared Ailes' tips for effective communication and public performances.

  Simon and Schuster

• In 1992, Ailes served as executive producer on a syndicated late-night talk show hosted by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, which ran for four years before coming to an end in 1996.

  Ailes Productions

• Ailes was named president of CNBC in 1993, where he launched the new cable network America's Talking, which was shut down and replaced with future Fox News competitor MSNBC.

  America's Talking

• Media mogul Rupert Murdoch hired Ailes to serve as founding CEO and Chariman of the Fox News Channel in 1996, which soon grew to become the most popular cable news network in the country.

  Getty Images

• In 2016, Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by ousted Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. In July, Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming years of inappropriate behavior and sexual advances.

  Getty Images

• As sexual harassment allegations continued to mount against Ailes, reports soon began to surface that Ailes had begun negotiating his departure from the 21st Century Fox-owned cable news channel.

  Getty Images

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Having begun as a producer on a daytime show, the Ohio native went on to become the cable news network boss before being hit with sexual harassment allegations

The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.

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