The Putnam County, N.Y., legislature has tabled the lease agreement for a new senior center in the village of Cold Spring, much of which would have been paid for by a foundation set up by Roger Ailes and his wife Elizabeth. The Putnam County News and Recorder reports Tuesday’s meeting was “standing room only” as Ailes “came under hostile fire when speaker after speaker criticized him” in a 3-hour-45-minute session.
One woman charged: “The name of Roger Ailes is not appropriate or acceptable for a senior center.” Another demanded that the county “name the center in memory of someone who has passed away.” Lithgow Osborne of Garrison, who has run unsuccessfully as a Democrat for both the Legislature and county clerk, described Ailes as a “carpetbagger. His money offering is an insult to all women of our county. We must hold off the naming until allegations against the man are either proven to be true or false.” One woman charged: “The man is giving $500,000 to buy his way to heaven” while screamed and held up signs.
Ailes was to contribute the $250,000 he was awarded in 2013 after being presented the Bradley Foundation prize. The Ailes foundation was to match the amount. The center was to open in March 2017.
Elizabeth Ailes is the owner and publisher of The Putnam County News & Recorder, which covered the meeting, as well as The Putnam County Courier. The Ailes family has given to other charitable causes in the Hudson Valley, where they have a home in Garrison.
Ailes is also a benefactor of the Ailes Apprentice Program, which reached out to minority journalists who participate in a year-long apprenticeship at Fox. TVNewser has covered the annual AAP graduations for several years. We’ve reached out to Fox News and have inquired about the future of the program. (Update: the program’s name has changed.)
In 2008, Ailes gave a “generous contribution” to Ohio University where the Roger E. Ailes Newsroom exists. Ailes majored in radio and television at OU and was manager of the radio station WOUB from 1960-1962, when he graduated. “The University is aware of this matter and will continue to monitor the situation as it progresses,” a spokesperson tells us. “It is important to note that this is a personal employment matter, and we are not taking a position on matters related to the personal situations of our graduates. The University would not take a position until the matter is resolved.”