Mark Kranz, the former Chief Financial Officer of Fox News Channel, who departed in the wake of the Roger Ailes sexual harassment scandal, will be given immunity from prosecution, the Financial Times reports.
Federal prosecutors are looking into any payments that may have been made by the company to women who’d accused Ailes of harassing them. One of those women former Fox News booker Laurie Luhn, opened up last summer about years of harassment she says she suffered under Ailes. From the FT:
As CFO, Mr Kranz was intimately involved in preparing the company’s financial statements so his co-operation will be key for prosecutors trying to understand how the Luhn payment and other alleged settlements were accounted for.
AdvertisementThe Luhn payment was not disclosed to 21st Century Fox investors and federal prosecutors have offered Mr Kranz and at least one other former executive immunity from prosecution in return for their co-operation, people briefed on the case said. Mr Kranz did not respond to calls seeking comment; his lawyer declined to comment.
21st Century Fox declined to comment on this report but in a statement last month, regarding another legal action against Fox News, the company stated: “Neither FOX News nor 21CF has received a subpoena, but we have been in communication with the U.S. Attorney’s office for months — we have and will continue to cooperate on all inquiries with any interested authorities.”
Last week another longtime Fox News finance executive, Judith Slater, was let go following allegations of making racist comments.
Kranz had been with Fox News since 1997.