Brian Lewis, a senior executive at Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, has been fired from the company over “financial issues and other performance problems,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Lewis was FNC’s executive VP of corporate communications, managing media relations and communications for FNC, FBN, Fox TV stations and Twentieth Television. He was also a close confidant of FNC chairman and CEO Roger Ailes, having worked with Ailes at America’s Talking before joining him to help launch Fox News in 1996. Lewis was promoted to his EVP role in 2006.
From THR:
Insiders say that their close relationship made it difficult for Ailes to cut Lewis loose, but the financial issues — details of which were not available Tuesday — coupled with complaints about complacency and other matters, left Ailes feeling as if he had no other choice.
A spokesperson for 21st Century Fox declined to comment.
Update: Early this evening a 21st Century Fox spokesperson sent us this statement: “After an extensive internal investigation of Brian Lewis’ conduct by Fox News, it was determined that he should be terminated for cause, specifically for issues relating to financial irregularities, as well as for multiple, material and significant breaches of his employment contract. He was terminated for cause on July 25.”
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