A producer for Fox News who has worked for Maria Batirormo and Tucker Carlson alleged in court filings Monday that she was coerced by executives into providing misleading testimony in the $1.6 billion defamation suit that Dominion Voting Systems has levied against the Fox Corp.-backed outlet.
In filings made Monday Delaware Superior Court and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Abby Grossberg, who had worked as a senior booking producer for Bartiromo and head of booking for Tucker Carlson, alleged that Fox attorneys worked to “coach, manipulate, and coerce Ms. Grossberg to deliver shaded and/or incomplete answers during her sworn deposition testimony, which answers were clearly to her reputational detriment but greatly benefitted Fox News,” according to the Delaware lawsuit.
“Fox News Media engaged an independent outside counsel to immediately investigate the concerns raised by Ms. Grossberg, which were made following a critical performance review. Her allegations in connection with the Dominion case are baseless and we will vigorously defend Fox against all of her claims,” the company said in a statement. Fox News Media added: “Ms. Grossberg has threatened to disclose Fox’s attorney-client privileged information and we filed a temporary restraining order to protect our rights.”
The allegations surface just as Fox News and its parent, Fox Corp., are meeting in a hearing in Delaware to find out if the Dominion case will proceed to trial, as many expect. Dominion’s suit has been explosive, alleging that it is owed damages after Fox News aired false claims about the company’s actions and influence on the 2020 election. Depositions released in the case have damaged the credibility of Fox executives and anchors, several of whom expressed skepticism in texts and emails about some of the claims made about Dominion by interviewees on Fox programs.
Grossberg’s allegations also spotlight what she said was a rough culture at the Carlson show. In her New York filing, Grossberg alleged staffers made crude remarks about women and Jews.
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