Fox knew of allegations before renewing O’Reilly pact

NEW YORK — The parent company of the Fox News Channel says it knew a news analyst planned to file a sexual harassment lawsuit against Bill O’Reilly when it renewed the popular personality’s contract in February.

The New York Times reported Saturday the company renewed O’Reilly’s contract after he reached a $32 million settlement with the analyst, Lis Wiehl.

In a statement, 21st Century Fox defended its decision because it said O’Reilly had settled the matter personally. It also said O’Reilly and Wiehl had agreed the financial terms would be kept confidential.

The company says O’Reilly’s new contract had added protections that allowed Fox to dismiss him if other allegations surfaced.

O’Reilly was ousted months later when it was revealed Fox had paid five women a total of $13 million to keep quiet about harassment allegations.

Mark Fabiani, a spokesman for O’Reilly, said in a statement Saturday that after 21st Century Fox fired founding CEO Roger Ailes in 2015 after harassment charges, dozens of women accused scores of male employees at Fox News Channel of harassment. The 77year-old Ailes died in Palm Beach, Fla., in May.

Fabiani said 21st Century Fox paid out close to $100 million dollars to settle all the cases, adding that in O’Reilly’s 20 years working at the channel not one complaint was filed against him by a co-worker, even on an anonymous hotline.

Wiehl’s allegations included repeated harassment, a nonconsensual sexual relationship and the sending of gay pornography and other sexually explicit material to the woman, according to people briefed on the matter who spoke to the New York Times.

As part of the terms of their agreement, she signed an affidavit, dated Jan. 17 and obtained by the newspaper, stating that the two sides had resolved their dispute and that she had no claims against O’Reilly concerning any of the allegations in the draft complaint. All photos, text messages and other communications between the two would be destroyed, the newspaper reported.

The Associated Press emailed Wiehl Saturday seeking comment.

The settlement was by far the largest of a half-dozen deals made by O’Reilly or the company to settle harassment allegations against the host, according to the newspaper.