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People in the news (Bill O'Reilly)
Knight Ridder Newspapers ^ | 10/14/04

Posted on 10/14/2004 5:52:38 PM PDT by TexKat

(KRT) - Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, the nation's top-rated cable news host and a brash advocate of personal responsibility and self-control, was sued for sexual harassment Wednesday, reports The Los Angeles Times, by a producer on his show who says he repeatedly pressured her to engage in phone sex and frightened her with lewd "monologues."

The suit, filed by Andrea Mackris, a 33-year-old associate producer on ``The O'Reilly Factor,'' quotes O'Reilly as speaking to her in highly explicit terms about vibrators, oral sex, masturbation and a fantasy in a Caribbean hotel room shower.

The suit also quotes O'Reilly as threatening "any woman" who would complain about his sexual advances, and as suggesting Fox News chief Roger Ailes would "go after" enemies of the channel.

"Look at Al Franken - one day he's going to get a knock on his door and life as he's known it will change forever," the suit quotes O'Reilly as saying. Franken, a liberal commentator, has been engaged for months in a public feud with O'Reilly. Franken did not respond to calls seeking comment.

The suit names O'Reilly and several other defendants, including Fox's parent News Corp. and Westwood One Inc., the syndicator of O'Reilly's radio show. Before it was made public, O'Reilly and Fox News filed their own claim in New York Supreme Court against Mackris and her attorney, Benedict Morelli, accusing them of trying to extort $60 million from him. "Enough is enough," O'Reilly said in a statement. "I will not give in to extortion."

In their court papers, O'Reilly and Fox News said Mackris' allegations "may ... be motivated by Morelli's political connections to the Democratic Party." Morelli has given to the campaigns of such Democratic candidates as Sen. John F. Kerry and Sen. John Edwards, the suit says. "The extortion scheme is timed to coincide with the upcoming presidential election, to cause maximum disruption and damage to plaintiffs, while at the same time benefiting Fox's major competitor CNN," the papers say.

The scandal comes at a particularly awkward time for O'Reilly and Fox News. The channel has logged record ratings for its coverage of the White House race, routinely beating rival CNN by margins of more than 2-1.

---


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: biggertheyare; billoreilly; buttafuoco; chickenchoker; hardertheyfall; lech; masterbaiter; monkeyspanker; oreilly
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To: ladyinred

She was about to lose a job with a very lucrative salary if she walked away from him. She needed evidence...and it is evidently not illegal to tape phone conversations in NYC.

It would be very hard for Andrea to get another job paying as well as the one at FOX in her cutthroa competitive field.

O'Reilly threw veiled threats at her, like telling how Al Franken (his sworn enemy) would some night get a knock on his door and "his life would never be the same". He also said that any woman accusing him of harassment "would not be believed--he said, she said" and that he was too powerful a man to cross.

She had the option of making a police report (in NYC--it would probably be blown off--O'R has an in with the NYCPD).
So she wisely decided to take the civil lawsuit course of action.

By the way, it's not a "set-up" when you are doing your own investigation.


21 posted on 10/14/2004 7:44:25 PM PDT by Palladin (Proud to be a FReeper!)
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To: fight_truth_decay

It is not ALL hearsay. She has witnesses. She has tapes.

You will see--if it ever gets to trial.

Why the money? O'Reilly had the power to blackball her and prevent her from ever getting another producer stint in MSM. 60 Million? Of course she does not realistically expect that. But she can expect what she may have made for the rest of her career in TV. She's only 33. That could be 32 more years at $98,000 a year, or approximately
$3,136,000 in lost wages plus pain and suffering plus the lawyer's cut. Oh, I'd say Ten Million should do it nicely.


22 posted on 10/14/2004 7:50:28 PM PDT by Palladin (Proud to be a FReeper!)
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To: TexKat

I wish ailes would fire him and replace him with Tony Snow.


23 posted on 10/14/2004 7:51:38 PM PDT by EmilyGeiger (They that can give up liberty to obtain safety deserve neither liberty or safety. Ben Franklin)
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To: ladyinred

common sense I would think would dictate..I agree with you ..too many questions and too many here seem biased and out for O'Reilly.


24 posted on 10/14/2004 7:59:39 PM PDT by fight_truth_decay
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To: Palladin
So, it's not O'Reilly's guilt or innocence but the severity of the charges?
25 posted on 10/14/2004 8:12:20 PM PDT by RebelBanker (Now I understand! "Allah" is Arabic for "Satan.")
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To: ladyinred

To be completely honest, I don't know who did what.

But I did see this coming for O'Reilly in one way or another.

O'Reilly must have forgotten when he points his finger there is one pointing back.

I am surprised that something negative has not come his way before now.

26 posted on 10/14/2004 8:21:22 PM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: TexKat; ladyinred
I say this is a scorched earth set up by the DNC against all things conservative (or perceived to be) and especially Foxnews.

Initially, I didn't find this surprising. O'Reilly seems pompous and arrogant enough in my view to pull this kind of crap.

But after seeing this:

The suit also quotes O'Reilly as threatening "any woman" who would complain about his sexual advances, and as suggesting Fox News chief Roger Ailes would "go after" enemies of the channel.

....I'm wondering now if it is a set up.

27 posted on 10/14/2004 8:29:09 PM PDT by Lijahsbubbe ( This Bubbe's for Pres. Bush)
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To: Palladin; MistyCA
Tapes that have not surfaced..witnesses we have not heard from..and she seems to show up where there is sexual harassment. She has a resume of pretty impressive places of employment. She should be able to work just about anywhere if she is in deed qualified for the positions she so seeks. So why go running back to FOX..if she was being harassed. She was so happy to be back !!!

Yes, money would make it so much easier to deal with life. Oh, the continued "pain and suffering" she seem to find herself in even at CNN. Amazing how someone will put up with such "painful suffering" when if the cards are played right could be very lucrative in the end.

You are assuming she even was good enough to even keep her job in TV or any other media for that matter to suggest such an income. Maybe she fell under the Peter (Paula) Principle. Maybe she is a bimbo. Maybe she is an opportunist. Maybe she is stalking him? Maybe she is Mother Theresa. You don't know. Since when do we trust anything written in the media with no way to check or know true facts pertaining to this alleged harassment by The Factor.

If she is credible she will not settle outside of court. She will carry it to the end..and the doors of opportunity will open wide and welcome her with open arms for taking on The Factor.

I admit I could be wrong. But I have questions.
28 posted on 10/14/2004 8:30:29 PM PDT by fight_truth_decay
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To: MistyCA

PING

Lend your skills to this.


29 posted on 10/14/2004 8:31:44 PM PDT by fight_truth_decay
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To: Lijahsbubbe

I don't know if it is a setup or not Lijahsbubbe. I wish Live with Regis and Kathy Lee provided a transcript of their show from today. I would have liked to hear what O'Reilly said in its entirety. The cable news stations are only showing clips.


30 posted on 10/14/2004 8:33:49 PM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: fight_truth_decay

"O'Reilly called again in April after Mackris' boss at CNN was terminated - for sexual harassment - and suggested they have dinner."

Seems where ever she goes her superior gets accused of sex harrassment. Andrea has red flags waving all over her. Can you say bunny boiler?


31 posted on 10/14/2004 8:36:31 PM PDT by SunnySide
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To: Palladin

"He threatened Andrea several times with "showing up" at her apartment. As a single woman who lives alone, she took this as a stalking threat."

If that had happened to me I WOULDN'T HAVE OPEN THE DOOR! I WOULD'VE PRETENDED NOBODY WAS HOME... DUH I noticed you palladin keep harping on this really desperately. Is that you Andrea? Seems Andrea desperately needs, wants a man in her life. Bunny boilers are scarey.


32 posted on 10/14/2004 8:39:47 PM PDT by SunnySide
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To: Palladin

"By the way, it's not a "set-up" when you are doing your own investigation."

It is when you're the bait baiting someone.



33 posted on 10/14/2004 8:42:02 PM PDT by SunnySide
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To: fight_truth_decay; Palladin; Lijahsbubbe; ladyinred
(END VIDEOTAPE) CARROLL: O'Reilly says Mackris' lawsuit is politically motivated. Saying her attorney's firm made contributions to the Democratic Party. Mackris' attorney says the extortion complaint is without merit. And his client's complaint is not political, it's sexual harassment and the allegations against O'Reilly will be proven in court -- Lou.

DOBBS: Very high-stakes conflict between these two. Jason, what is the next step here?

CARROLL: Well, sometime in late October, October 22, both of the sides will get together and if there is an issue about the tapes, perhaps at that time, that issue will be resolved.

DOBBS: Thank you very much, Jason Carroll.

34 posted on 10/14/2004 8:48:29 PM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: TexKat

Man....where DID the Spin Stop??? O'R has ticked off every conservative, so I guess it's up to the moderates to defend him......NOT!


35 posted on 10/14/2004 8:55:29 PM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion: The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Ann Archy
From Lou Dobbs tonight:

RONN TOROSSIAN, SW PUBLIC RELATIONS: O'Reilly is a hard-core conservative who likes to talk about himself as the king of no spin. Mr. O'Reilly, keep spinning. Keep spinning and keep fighting.

36 posted on 10/14/2004 8:59:36 PM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: fight_truth_decay

My understanding of these charges she leveled is that O'Reilly was talking dirty to her over the phone! For God's sake, the woman doesn't know how to hang the friggen phone up? What a crock!


37 posted on 10/14/2004 9:32:05 PM PDT by MistyCA
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To: Palladin

38 posted on 10/14/2004 9:33:28 PM PDT by Boazo
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To: Boazo

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.


39 posted on 10/14/2004 9:36:11 PM PDT by pete anderson
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To: SunnySide
The tapes will tell the story and I am not sure there is a website in the world that could handle the hits when these tapes go on-line.
40 posted on 10/14/2004 9:42:16 PM PDT by pete anderson
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