Fox News scored a major legal victory on Friday when a federal court in New York threw out a lawsuit by Andrea Tantaros, former co-host of the network’s “The Five.”
In his 19-page ruling, George B. Daniels of the Southern District Court in New York, said that Tantaros had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support her allegations, which included claims that the network had hacked into her computer and wiretapped her while at work and on her personal devices.
“Plaintiff’s amended complaint is based primarily on speculation and conjecture,” he wrote. “Moreover, she fails to adequately make out the basic elements of her claims.”
Tantaros first filed a sexual harassment suit against Ailes and Fox News in August of 2016, after filing internal complaints with the network about harassment in February of 2015. She was fired by the network in April of 2016.
Last April, she filed this suit alleging a campaign of wiretapping and invasion of her privacy. In an amended complaint filed in January, Tantaros also accused former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has secretly recorded her undressing during the network’s bi-annual trunk show.
The legal win is a welcome piece of good news for a company that has been buffeted by string of sexual misconduct accusations and settlements over the last two years which played a direct role in the departure of the network’s former CEO, Roger Ailes, and the network’s biggest star, Bill O’Reilly.
Earlier this week, parent company 21st Century Fox announced that it had paid $10 million to settle 19 discrimination claims and also announced the promotion of Suzanne Scott to be the new CEO of Fox News.
She is the first woman to lead Fox News the only woman currently leading a major news organization.
A Fox News spokesperson declined to comment for this story.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.