There appears to yet another impediment standing in 21st Century Fox’s way as the company continues its quest to complete a long-anticipated takeover of Sky.
According to Bloomberg, former Fox News Radio correspondent named Jessica Golloher, who is presently suing Fox News for gender discrimination, revealed during a meeting with British lawmakers today that the network refused to let her travel to Russia to investigate potential links between the Trump administration and Russia.
“You can’t do in-depth reporting if you’re not there,” the former Fox correspondent reportedly told Parliament earlier today. “Fox didn’t let me go to Moscow to dig into Trump’s Russian connections, even when I offered to pay my own way.”
“Fox is just buying what the White House is selling,” she continued.
The former Fox Newser made the remarks shortly after meeting with the U.K.’s Competition & Markets Authority, which is investigating the $15.5 billion Sky takeover on grounds of “media plurality” and whether the company has “a genuine commitment to broadcasting standards.”
Golloher, who was based in the Middle East, also testified that she was marginalized at Fox News because of her gender, and was fired not long after outlining her concerns to HR. Her Fox News contract was set to expire in August 2017.
A Fox News spokesperson issued this response to Golloher’s original claim: “Jessica Golloher’s claims are without merit. Her allegations of discrimination and retaliation are baseless. We will vigorously defend the matter.”
Golloher was joined in the meeting by Doug Wigdor, the attorney for 27 current and former Fox employees in a range of harassment and discrimination lawsuits against the company. Fox News anchor Kelly Wright was reportedly also at the meeting with Parliament, as was Joe Lindsley, who worked at the paper ran by Beth Ailes and someone the late-Roger Ailes reportedly referred to as “Ailes Jr.”
Also in attendance were representatives from an online advocacy group named Avaaz, and former U.K. Labour party leader Ed Miliband, who has been a critic of the Sky takeover.