Internal inquiry sealed the fate of Roger Ailes at Fox

Executives at 21st Century Fox decided to end the tenure of Roger Ailes after lawyers they hired to investigate sexual harassment allegations against him took statements from at least six other women who described inappropriate behavior from Ailes, two people briefed on the inquiry said Wednesday.

One of the people said that the details of the allegations, while unverified, were troubling enough that they left 21st Century Fox little choice but to force an end to Ailes' reign as chairman and chief executive of Fox News, given the potential liability they presented to the company both legally and in terms of its own corporate culture.

The people with knowledge of the state of discussions over Ailes' exit agreement said both sides were working toward an accommodation that would recognize Ailes' service to the company as the founder and leader of Fox News, which sits atop the cable news ratings and is a major profit engine for 21st Century Fox. The agreement could also include a provision for him to continue with Fox as a consultant.

But given the personalities and complications involved, the situation was fluid enough that no accommodation had been reached by Wednesday night.

Fox News did not respond to requests for comment on the status of the discussions or on the investigation, which is being conducted by the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Lawyers for Ailes did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

[Ex-Fox News anchor accuses former boss Ailes of sexual harassment]

Ailes has denied the allegations of sexual harassment, and more than a dozen Fox News staff members, including some top stars, have publicly supported him.

The people briefed on the investigation, who would not speak for attribution because of the sensitivity of the investigation, stressed that it was narrowly focused on the allegations against Ailes, and not the broader climate at the network.

But Ailes' departure will have much wider implications.

Given Fox News' place as a central hub for conservative opinion — not to mention as a primary outlet for the Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump — the shape of its post-Ailes operation goes beyond corporate intrigue at 21st Century Fox and could have consequences for the national political dialogue.

In the two weeks since Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox anchor, filed suit against Ailes, the Murdoch family, which runs 21st Century Fox, has made it clear that its decision to take the allegations seriously was in keeping with its desire to follow modern standards for office conduct, and that these needed to extend to Fox News, as well.

The question in the post-Ailes environment is to what extent the Murdochs decide to continue on with Ailes' current management team. That, in turn, could determine the future approach and look of the network, which is the outlet of choice for conservative-leaning viewers seeking an alternative to the mainstream media.

Speculation about who Ailes' successor would be transfixed the media world Wednesday, with focus on outsiders such as the CBS News president, David Rhodes, who had worked at Fox News for several years; one of Ailes' current lieutenants, like Bill Shine or Michael Clemente; or someone from conservative media like Chris Ruddy, the founder and chief executive of Newsmax.

At least for the day, fears that some of Fox News' prime-time stars, like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren, would exercise contract clauses to leave with Ailes' loss of his chairmanship, appeared to abate. Network staff members were acutely focused on Megyn Kelly, who had hinted in recent months she wanted to leave the network. She was one of the women who told Paul, Weiss investigators that Ailes had acted improperly with her, one of the people briefed on the inquiry said Tuesday.

Kelly maintained her silence Wednesday. But as the end of Ailes' chairmanship approached, it appeared to embolden other women to discuss their own experiences at the network. Several spoke with reporters on condition that they not be named.

In interviews, several current and former Fox News employees said inappropriate comments about a woman's appearance and her sex life were frequent in the newsroom.

The newsroom has been on edge in the weeks since Carlson filed her suit, one person said. Everybody wants to talk about the drama but nobody wants to talk in the open, the person said.

As of Wednesday evening, staff members had not received an email from 21st Century Fox, Fox News or Ailes informing them about the events that have transpired, the investigation or the future of the network.

The swift pace of events at Fox News — only two weeks passed between Carlson's filing of her lawsuit and the negotiations to end Ailes' leadership — were especially surprising for a network that has made its name by embracing "politically incorrect" themes, something in keeping with the brash personalities of both Ailes and the 21st Century Fox patriarch, Rupert Murdoch. Female hosts in skirts, sitting behind translucent desks that can highlight their legs, have always been a network trademark.

To completely move away from that ethos would be to fundamentally change the network. And 21st Century Fox's leadership will have to be mindful of maintaining its special relationship with viewers that Ailes has so carefully cultivated, and which is central to the financial and ratings success of the network.

Murdoch will ultimately determine that direction in close consultation — and perhaps even some deference — to the two sons he is grooming to succeed him, Lachlan and, more important, James Murdoch, who is known to have different politics than his father does.

So far, none of the three has made any public statement about the network, its future or, for that matter, Ailes.