Former Fox News executive Ken LaCorte accused the network of “journalistic malpractice” on Sunday over its coverage of misconduct allegations against former host Kimberly Guilfoyle, while fellow Fox alum Gretchen Carlson offered a different explanation for the network’s editorial decisions.
LaCorte, who ran FoxNews.com for a decade before leaving in 2016, accused the network of ignoring a major story involving Guilfoyle, now U.S. ambassador to Greece. But Fox News had reported on the allegations days earlier on “Special Report With Bret Baier,” a point the network emphasized in a response to TheWrap. The Wall Street Journal, another Murdoch-controlled news organization, has led reporting on Guilfoyle’s conduct.
“I ran FoxNews.com for a decade, and this pains me to write,” LaCorte wrote in a lengthy post on X.
“To be clear, this isn’t a simple ‘mistake’ by Fox,” he continued. “It’s not a biased headline or muddled article. It’s a conscious choice to ignore a major story that has been reported worldwide by every major news outlet.”
“It’s journalistic malpractice,” LaCorte added.
The Journal reported Wednesday that Guilfoyle asked Trump donor Eric Deters to pay a $100,000 American Express bill shortly before her Senate confirmation hearing in July 2025. According to messages reviewed by the newspaper, she allegedly offered to help Deters gain access to senior administration officials as he sought assistance with personal legal and tax matters.
Deters said he never made the payment. Guilfoyle’s attorney disputed the authenticity of the messages, while her legal team said the money represented unpaid compensation for speaking engagements and appearances predating her ambassadorial nomination. Her attorneys denied wrongdoing.
The allegations have raised questions about Guilfoyle’s future in the administration. The Associated Press reported Sunday that President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were considering removing her from her post amid mounting allegations about her conduct in Greece.
The controversy has highlighted a contrast between the Journal, owned by News Corp, and Fox News, part of the separately traded Fox Corp. While the Journal published a series of investigations into Guilfoyle’s conduct, FoxNews.com did not publish a detailed report on the allegations until Sunday.
Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich reported on the allegations during “Special Report With Bret Baier” Thursday, including Vice President JD Vance’s reaction to allegations involving access to administration officials. In response to TheWrap’s inquiry, Fox News pointed to the broadcast, noting that the network had covered the allegations “well before LaCorte’s tweet.”
LiveNOW from FOX, a streaming service associated with Fox’s local television operations, also reported on the controversy Thursday. FoxNews.com published a more extensive article Sunday evening, after LaCorte’s criticism, detailing the allegations and the possibility of Guilfoyle’s removal.
“I suspect it’s instead a product of fear and inaction by middle management,” he wrote. “Whatever the reason, though, it’s an increasing pattern I’ve seen at the network.”
Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson challenged LaCorte’s explanation Monday, arguing in a post on X that any decision to omit the story from Fox’s programming rundowns came from senior leadership rather than fearful middle managers.
A source with knowledge of Fox News’ editorial operations disputed that characterization, telling TheWrap that “editorial decisions on whether to cover a story on digital are not decided at the top of the network.”
Neither former Fox figure presented direct evidence establishing who made the editorial decisions about Guilfoyle’s coverage.
A source familiar with Fox News’ digital operations told TheWrap that FoxNews.com drew roughly 17 million monthly unique visitors during LaCorte’s tenure, compared with approximately 163 million multiplatform monthly uniques today, though the figures use different audience measurements.
LaCorte subsequently acknowledged FoxNews.com’s Sunday report, writing, “Good to see Fox has now gotten around to it …”
Guilfoyle, who previously co-hosted Fox’s “The Five,” left the network in 2018 and was previously engaged to Donald Trump Jr.
LaCorte, who said he has defended Fox against what he considered exaggerated criticism for nearly three decades, warned that the network’s handling of politically sensitive stories could damage its standing with longtime supporters.
“To those of you at Fox with any power — from Lachlan on down — know that things like this only harm the company’s reputation,” he wrote. “Not among your enemies, who will hate you no matter what, but among your supporters, like me, who get pained when the hyperbolic attacks turn out to be true.”
