Roger Ailes Spent Fox Money to Wage Secret Campaigns Against Foes

Meriah Doty
·Editor

Now that Roger Ailes has left Fox, the news network has discovered that he misused company funds to wage secret campaigns against his enemies, according to a new report.

Ailes hired consultants, political operatives and private detectives and even ran negative campaigns against his foes out of a secret so-called “Black Room” located on the 14th floor of the NewsCorp building in New York, according to a New York Magazine report.

Also Read: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Used Roger Ailes Lookalike to Gain Access at RNC

Ailes’ lawyer responded: “These allegations are totally false.”

Ailes’ use of company monies went largely unchecked, the magazine said:

According to three highly-placed sources… there were few checks on Ailes when it came to the Fox News budget. “It was the culture,” one Fox executive said. “You didn’t ask questions, and Roger wouldn’t entertain questions.” One former News Corp executive explained that because Fox made more than $1 billion in annual profits, the funds that were used for settlements amounted to little more than “a rounding error.”

The top brass at Fox have been unearthing disturbing discoveries on how Ailes spent company dollars, now that he’s gone following sexual harassment allegations, the magazine said.

The network fired five consultants hired by Ailes last week.

Also Read: Fox News Drops Roger Ailes Name From Apprentice Program

Fox executives have learned Ailes hired them for his own personal purposes, the magazine said. It said Bert Solivan is one example, and that he was hired to run a negative PR campaign against the former Fox News head’s enemies, who included Gawker reporters John Cook and Hamilton Nolan, and former Putnam County News & Recorder editor Joe Lindsley.

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

  • Roger Ailes
    Roger Ailes

    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

  • Ohio University
    Ohio University

    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

  • daytime emmy awards logo 618
    daytime emmy awards logo 618

    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

  • News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch
    News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch

    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

  • steve doocy gretchen carlson
    steve doocy gretchen carlson

    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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