An attorney for Tucker Carlson has sent a letter to Fox News executives accusing the network of breach of contract and fraud.
Attorney Bryan Freedman sent a letter to Fox officials Viet Dinh and Irena Briganti just before Carlson released a video on Twitter announcing his new show. Carlson’s video, uploaded late Tuesday afternoon, revealed that he planned to host a “new version” of his popular show exclusively on Twitter.
“Starting soon we’ll be bringing a new version of the show we’ve been doing for the last six and a half years to Twitter,” the former Fox News host said in the video. “We bring some other things too, which we’ll tell you about. But for now we’re just grateful to be here. Free speech is the main right that you have. Without it, you have no others.”
We’re back. pic.twitter.com/sG5t9gr60O
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 9, 2023
According to Axios, the attorney’s letter to Fox sets up a situation in which Carlson can argue that his contract’s non-compete provision is no longer valid — allowing him to start his new show or create an entirely new media company.
The letter states that Fox News owner “Rupert Murdoch himself” had broken promises to Carlson “intentionally and with reckless disregard for the truth,” while accusing Dinh and Murdoch of making “material representations” — meaning promises — to Carlson that were intentionally broken, which constitutes fraud.
Axios went on to note that the attorney alleged Fox News had broken an agreement with Carlson that barred them from leaking his private communications to the media and using his private communications “to take any adverse employment action against him.”
This is likely in reference to recent leaks of behind-the-scenes footage of Carlson on the set at Fox News, which were published by Media Matters, a left-wing organization dedicated to smearing conservatives.
It was also widely reported that some of Carlson’s private messages played a major role in Fox News’ decision to abruptly fire their most popular news anchor — though Carlson says that the network’s recent settlement with Dominion Voting Systems was also a part of their reasoning for his ouster.
The attorney also claims in the letter that Fox News had broken promises about how they would settle that lawsuit as it related to Carlson.
Meanwhile, Fox News has claimed that it was “categorically false” that the $787.5 million settlement had anything to do with Carlson’s firing.
“Dominion did not insist on them firing Tucker Carlson as part of the settlement,” an attorney for Dominion told Axios.
The attorney’s letter also accuses Briganti, Fox’s public relations chief, of attempting to “undermine, embarrass, and interfere” with Carlson’s future business prospects — which his legal team argues is another breach of contract, saying that they intend to “subpoena Ms. Briganti’s cell phone records and related documents.”
