A Fox News producer introduced Monday lawsuits against the network, alleging that her lawyers coerced her into providing misleading testimony in Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the network.
The lawsuit was filed Monday night by Abby Grossberg, who worked with Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Maria Bartiromo, against the network in NY and Delaware. Grossberg alleged that Fox News lawyers “coerced, intimidated and misinformed” while preparing her to testify in the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit.
«EM. Grossberg walked out of the plea preparation sessions unaware that by giving answers as false/misleading and evasive as those that the Fox legal team positively reacted to during the preparation sessions, you are not only exposing yourself to civil liability and criminal for perjury, but subtly shifting all responsibility for the alleged defamation against Dominion onto his shoulders and, by implication, those of his trusted colleague, Ms. Bartiromo, rather than the higher-ups at Fox News, in his mostly male, who endorsed the repeated coverage of the lies against Dominion,” the lawsuit stated.
Grossberg also alleged a culture of discrimination in a «toxic workplace» while working at Fox News. She claimed she was «isolated, overworked, undervalued, lacking opportunities for promotion, and generally treated significantly worse than her male counterparts, even when those men were less qualified than she was,» and that the network retaliated against her afterward. that she complained about “unlawful harassment (based on her gender and Jewish religion)”.
Her lawsuit also claimed that she experienced “vile sexist stereotyping” and that female workers were “verbally raped on an almost daily basis by an entrenched and venomous patriarchy.”
Fox News denied Grossberg’s claims in a statement.
“FOX News Media retained independent outside counsel to promptly investigate the concerns raised by Ms. Grossberg, which were made following a critical performance review. Her allegations in connection with the Dominion case are baseless and we will vigorously defend Fox against all of her claims,” said Irena Briganti, senior executive vice president of corporate communications for Fox News Media.
Fox News on Monday night searched for a temporary restraining order against Grossberg, which the network said would prevent him from revealing inside information. The network argued that he would suffer «immediate irreparable harm» if the order is not granted. A judge has yet to rule on the order.
«EM. Grossberg has threatened to release the inside information between Fox’s attorney and client and we filed a temporary restraining order to protect our rights,» Briganti said in a statement.
In a statement, Grossman’s attorneys, Parisis «Gerry» Filippatos and Tanvir Rahman, said their client was placed on «administrative leave» after she told the network she was about to file these lawsuits, as she alleges in your complaint.
«Ms. Grossberg has refused to be silenced and intimidated by Fox News, after years of enduring what she said was a workplace rampant with sexism and misogyny, where men were routinely promoted, paid more and provided far more resources and staff than more qualified women both in front of and behind the camera,» they said.
«Worse yet, Ms. Grossberg alleges she was manipulated and used as a pawn by Fox News lawyers to frame women like her and Maria Bartiromo for the network’s transmission of false information about Dominion’s voting systems. , simply to protect the predominantly male channel.» high command who controlled the content and guests who could and could not broadcast on the channel,» they added. «Our firm is committed to vindicating Fox’s flagrant violation of Ms. Grossberg’s rights.»
Grossberg’s lawsuit was filed a day before a key hearing in Dominion’s lawsuit against Fox News, as a Delaware judge is considering whether to rule on any part of the case before a jury trial.
Dominion sued Fox for defamation in March 2021, alleging that it caused «serious harm» by giving oxygen to conspiracy theories it knew to be false, including that Dominion’s equipment was used to rig the 2020 election for Joe Biden, who was linked to the deceased Venezuelan. President Hugo Chávez and bribed US government officials.
Evidence published as part of the defamation lawsuit earlier this month hinted at Grossberg’s working life.
“I book and write everything about Sunda [sic] Morning Futures only, so know what it’s like to run tight! he wrote in an email sent in September 2020, pressing a researcher to send him a data point.
«I didn’t realize you were as beaten up as I was,» he added. «Sometimes I also want to make sure I have the correct information and that I’m counting it correctly, since I’m the last line before the air.»